Behind Closed Doors
by McFadden
Summary: COMPLETED! AbbyKing When King is put out of commision by an injury, could one night without him by her side change Abigail's life forever?
1. Bathroom Behavior

Author's Note

Originally I intended this to be a one shot, but I found that a story is evolving from it. It may be just a short one, but it's a story anyway. Hope you all enjoy. Thanks for reading! I'm excited to read the reviews.

M-

Chapter 1: Bathroom Behavior

It had been raining that night and everything was completely sodden. The rain had soaked through every last stitch of clothing they had on their backs. Dirty, cold, and wet; Abby trudged up the steel steps leading to the entrance to the Honeycomb hideout with King moving sluggishly in tow. Tonight had been a particularly nasty fight with a group of 15 or so vampires and the duo were no worse for the wear. Each of them sported scratches and bruises laden across their bodies but luckily it was them who came out victorious. King had blown away an impressive nine of the fanged leeches and Abby picked up the spare by spearing six. It was Hell. Between the two of them, they had taken out a small coven of vampires; A night in which they should celebrate, had they not been so haggard. Somehow Abby thought that even with the massive amounts of soreness, King would still find the strength to have a celebratory beer. She cracked her arm and tried to massage the oncoming ache away as she limped up the pathway. Her feet felt like lead weights.

"God!"

She heard a low grunt of agreement coming from behind her. Apparently King shared her pain tonight. His voice had gotten a lot raspier since the beginning of the night.

"Amen…"

He was holding the tactical bag making him walk at an angle. Abby noticed that he was favoring his left ankle, which probably meant that he had sprained it at some point during the night. She made a note to check it out for him later. Her hand slipped under the strap of the bag as she took it from him and slung it over her shoulder. Grabbing his hand, she inadvertently supported some of his weight and he gave her a brief acknowledgment of appreciation with his tired eyes. Abby saw that there wasn't anyone on the lookout. Usually that was inhabited by Zoë, but lately she had been spending a lot of time near her mother's old computer station. It had been six months since the massacre and the fall of Drake. Each of them grieved differently day to day, except for Zoë. Part of her was still trying to comprehend the loss. Considering the time, she should be in bed, but she was developing a nighttime habit just like the rest of the Nightstalkers. Caulder had to be somewhere near; she heard bagpipe music filling the air. He must be feeling frisky, if that is such a word one could use when describing Caulder. Dash would be a little less easy to locate. Knowing him, he's somewhere in the city trying to stakeout for their next location. Abby wiped her cheek, felt how sticky she was and groaned.

"All I want to do tonight is get in the shower and scrape my skin clean. I feel _so _disgusting."

For the most part, her cohort had been relatively quiet as they approached the compound. However, he did let out a dissatisfied groan at hearing his coworker's choice in music for the night. A subject, in which, Abby believed King had no room to talk. Not that he would have said anything anyway. He was simply too tired to speak. But, true to his spirit, King tried to keep everything jovial even given the state of things by retorting to Abby's statement of personal hygiene with his own little joke.

"That's because you have crabs..."

Abby whipped around and screwed up her face in disgust and amusement.

"Hey!"

She socked him playfully, albeit hard, on the shoulder. He winced as dull pain reverberated through his body but he grabbed his arm chuckling despite it. Abby gave him a humorous, pointed glance.

"If by chance I had crabs, _and I don't_...it's only because _you_ gave them to me."

A faux expression of shock registered of his face as he tried to act appalled.

"Oh how dare you! I'm not _dirty_."

She tried not to laugh as she looked at him condescendingly. While it was a fact that the two of them had never done anything sexually with each other, King still liked to crack jokes about it because he had a sick enjoyment with teasing Abby about being a prude. And, compared to him, she was. But then again, who wasn't a prude when being compared to King? To her, he was a 'one man homage' to the entire porn industry.

"I guess that's why your beard itches right?"

That easily shut him up as they enter the main hub of the station. Abby felt a sly grin sneak up on her face as he fake look of shock turned into a real one. Usually King was the one who had the witty comebacks, but not tonight. He had walked right into that one. Abby decided to let him sulk on that for a while and immediately headed to the shower only to hear King calling up the stairs after her.

"I swear I'm clean!"

After about 45 minutes King got curious as if Abby was going to leave him any hot water.

So he decided that he'd go up there and see what was taking her so long. He walked up the stairs and knocked on the bathroom door where he thought Abby was taking a shower but all he heard was the sound of the water running out of the faucet. On the inside, Abby knew it was King just by the heavy placed knocking on the door.

"You can come in."

He was surprised to hear that response to say the least. He decided that talking to her through the door may be better.

"I just wanted to know how long you were going to be so I can brush my teeth. That's all I really want to do. That Goddamn atomized garlic shit got in my mouth tonight and now I can't get rid of the fucking taste."

He listened to the splashing of water and figured that Abby must've have decided to take a bath instead.

"I'm just shaving my legs King, you can come in you know."

He walked in to find her in a wife beater and a pair of underwear. Not naked like he expected and hoped but rather sitting on the toilet seat with her leg propped up on the edge of the tub and one arm dangling over on the inside, under the faucet, rinsing off a razor. She had already showered and there was clean flowery scent surrounding her King cocked his head to the side and looked on with genuine interest.

"Is this what girls do?"

Abby shrugged nonchalantly gliding the razor up her leg once more.

"I don't know if it's what girls do, but it's what I do."

Still confused, he ran a hand through his hair and unzipped his shaving kit to remove his toothbrush and toothpaste.

"I thought you guys took care of that and other places in the shower."

Abby checked a cut that was still producing a fair amount of blood and decided to shave around it. King noticed her demeanor. It suggested that she did that often while shaving.

"Well, most of the time, we do. But tonight I don't have to worry about those _other places._ They're already taken care of."

"Really Whistler that was too much information for me..."

She made a goofy face at him. King just smiled and leaned against the bathroom sink.

"Hey, you started it Poindexter. Besides I thought that you of all people would be familiar with what women do in the shower since you're the self professed Ladies Man."

He hadn't realized until now how long and delicate his partner's legs were under the lighting in the bathroom, even with the scratches. They were strong too, but he knew that already. Before, he had viewed them as weapons of mass destruction up until this very pleasing point. But, he decided it would be best not to focus on such things while he, himself, was in just his pajama pants; sans boxers. It had the potential of leading up to a very embarrassing situation for him if he let his imagination wonder off and get the best of him. With that, he reverted his attention to concentrating on the original task that was the reason he came in here in the first place. He brushed his teeth while Abby shaved her legs and made small talk with him. This experience was new to King, and to be honest, he was slightly uncomfortable. But on the contrary, Abby, seemed to be used to doing this. She did most of the talking since his mouth was full of toothpaste foam. She took this opportunity to say whatever she felt because he wouldn't be able to talk back.

"How's the ankle?"

King shrugged and tested his weight lightly. He groaned a bit and lifted up the leg of his khakis to find his ankle was swollen and bruised near his instep. Nonetheless he opened his mouth showing me a massive amount of foam. Apparently a mouthful of toothpaste wasn't going to stop him from talking.

"It's twisted. That's for sure, but I think I'll live."

Abby could smell the peppermint from her spot by the tub. She laughed to herself at how childish he looked while brushing his teeth and gargling.

"If it hasn't killed you sense of humor, I'm certain you'll live."

He smiled, causing the residue to seep out of the corners of his mouth. Abby laughed and made a disgusted face.

"No, you're right. I've still got that."

She looked at herself for a moment. A blow in the shin earlier was presently settling into a nice blue welt. With that in mind, she absently eyed him up and down, searching for possible stray injuries

"Any other mal infirmities I should know about? Besides the obvious bruised ankle and swollen ego…any internal bleeding?"

King shook his head no. His muscles were burning, but that was par for the course. Not to mention the havoc his mind was reeling on him.

"Many things are internal. Bleeding, not being one of them."

"Good to know…"

Abby went about her business, shaving the opposite leg while king rinse his mouth with Scope and wet his face.

"By the way, if you really want to get clean I suggest you follow my example and take a shower because you stink. Oh yeah… and I left my Summer's Eve in there for you."

He turned to give her a vulgar look and then came in eye contact with the very product of their discussion.

"Oh come on now Abby! That was just gross!"

Abby snickered in amusement. Grabbing a washcloth, she wet it and rinsed off the shaving cream from her legs. She ruffled his hair and kissed the top of King's forehead. Before she slipped out of the bathroom, Abby rolled up her wet washcloth and snapped it, popping King loudly on his ass.

"Oww!...Goddamnit woman, that hurt!"

He listened to her laugh herself silly down the hall and couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle too. She for one definitely got a thrill out of a good fight. This made him happy, knowing that Abby would be in a lighthearted mood for the evening now that the fatigue had somewhat lifted. King had decided that after trimming the stray hairs from his beard he would take her advice and shower…sans Summer's Eve.


	2. Ice Ice Baby

Author's Note:

Well…I'm not dead. I noticed that my fan base has picked up considerably since the release of Blade: Trinity on dvd. That's a good thing, welcome to all my new fans. I hope to keep you all entertained simultaneously. Yes! Another update! I've got a surprise for ya'll. My original character, Dash, makes a comeback after his debut in 'Security'. There's just something I really like about him and I just think that he fits well with the original Nightstalkers. I hope you guys feel the same. This story is meant to be mostly light with lots of playful banter between the characters. That's all for now! Savor the flavor…

McFadden-

Chapter 2: Ice Ice Baby

Truth be told, King could've spent forever in that shower, just as long as the hot water lasted. The minutes bled into hours for him it seemed. There's nothing more indulgent to him than a long, steamy shower…okay, maybe a long, steamy fuck. But that's it, period! King felt a sudden spark of arousal flow through his body, but this wasn't exactly foreign to him. This happened to him after almost every hunt. He would come home excited and energized, have some sort of witty verbal spar with his partner, Whistler, and then he'd end up alone with a _huge_ problem to take care of. King looked down briefly and groaned.

"Oh, that's not good…"

Well, at least it will be another 10 minutes well spent. _Now all he had to do was find where Abby had stored her lotion…_Meanwhile, Abby had joined her other partner, Caulder in the kitchen. Lately he had been taking over the more intellectual/planning half that was now left of the Nightstalkers. He had made a pot of tea, saw her come in, and offered her a mug. He walked around to the table and sat down.

"Feel better?"

Abby cracked her neck and arched her back, hearing her various joints pop and felt her muscles stretch.

"Much. Anything flare up while we were gone?"

Caulder scratched his growing stubble.

"Funny you should mention that. Remember those two brothers who were trying to rebuild the vampire hierarchy after the supposed demise of Blade and the Talos duo?"

Abby just nodded, completely attentive. That's was the only bit of knowledge that stayed exclusively between Caulder and herself. Not even King knew about that. Mainly because he was dead-set for killing any and everything with elongated canines, but Abigail had been concerned about his health and she wanted him to fully recover before going out to root-hog again. Caulder had kept a close eye on them this whole time but nothing ever materialized as a threat…till now.

"Well it seems that Sander and Dalton have resurfaced. And they're completely pissed about tonight little game of 'Spin the silver-laced bottle.' Nearly all of their most faithful followers were wiped out."

Abby let her head drop to the table with a loud thud. Why couldn't they all just fucking die with the Daystar? They're like overgrown leeches on society. Actually, that's _exactly_ what they are. Her reply came muffled from her arms but Caulder managed to decipher it.

"What is it with these inbred power bloodlines? In the last 3 years, they've all been related to each other."

He raised his eyebrows. In theory, Abby was right. Most of the duos they'd come to cross paths with had been legitimate combinations of brothers and sisters. But then again, the entire vampire race was related by a single strain of mutated DNA.

"Well my dear, you'll be hard-pressed to find a set of vampires who aren't linked that way."

She chewed on her bottom lip momentarily in thought and shrugged while pulling a chair closer to his laptop.

"True… So, Whatcha got so far?"

A feral grin spread across his face and Abby couldn't suppress her own excitement. This meant Caulder had something that would definitely remind her of the fun part of the job. A good twenty minutes later King emerged from a foggy bathroom looking clean but still rugged and his face was completely sated. He tied the towel around his waist and immediately stubbed his toe on the transition floor piece outside of the bathroom door.

"God-Fucking-Damnit!"

His ankle was already killing him and now he had to deal with this too…_shit!_ The familiar tone of his sidekick was heard followed by the heavily textured and lilting brogue of the crazy Norwegian drew him towards the center of the Hideout King ambled his way into the kitchen where he noticed Caulder and Abby sitting at the kitchenette behind Caulder's laptop. He hobbled up behind Abby and squeezed her shoulders lightly.

"Honey! Did you miss me while I was gone?"

Stray droplets of water fell from his body onto hers causing an unwelcome, cold shiver to course through her. Her hand came up and brushed off his hands. Abby barely gave a look in his direction, taking another sip of her green tea and replied dryly.

"No."

King shoulders drooped dramatically with deflated pride. He synched the towel tighter around his waist and clear his throat.

"Ouch Sparky…But I was gone long enough."

Caulder looked up and smirked.

"Not nearly long enough…"

"Alright! Enough with the frigid shoulders before my dick falls off from frostbite…"

Abby couldn't help but smile slightly and reply to that setup.

"If your dick falls off, frostbite is going to be the last reason…Herpes however…"

King rolled his shoulders back and growled.

Nice Whistler…nice. High five…"

Tired of standing there in a towel, being reasonably ignored, and curious; he walked over and glanced at the computer. Nudging his head on the crook of Abby's shoulder, he studied the screen.

"What could possibly have the two of you so engrossed? Caulder's porn collection isn't that impressive. Trust me, I've looked."

Abby batted his face away and tossed him a serious look.

"Apparently that hit we took out tonight ruffled a lot of undead but elite feathers. Rumors have spread of our small victory and a larger defense group has formed to seek revenge."

This got King's full attention. He was hoping that the battle tonight would cause something like this. He was dying for things to pick up again.

"So, to whom do we owe this displeasure?"

Caulder handed King a print out of a bio sheet complete with pictures. He took it and lifted an eyebrow. Abby watched as his lip curled sarcastically and she wondered for a moment if he knew who the two men were.

"Ahh… Frick and Frack huh? I was wondering when these two shits would come out of the closet."

Abby's suspensions were confirmed. Suddenly she felt guilty for keeping such a big secret from him. Especially if he was already aware of what they were about to get themselves into.

"So you _do_ know them?"

"Oh yeah. If there was ever a royal succession in the vampire covens, these two are next in line. I'm sure they've been dying to get their chance at a Nightstalkers' slumber party since good ol' Dan and Ash won their one way, all expense paid trip to the seventh circle of hell. They should feel right at home about now. So when do we move?"

For the first time that evening, Dash had emerged from his security bunker to mingle with his partners. His gravelly voice cut through the air, answering King's question.

"Three days… In the meantime, I have to go hotwire a new whip. Any preferences?"

Abby piped up.

"An Escalade would be nice."

"Done…hit me up if you need me."

He pulled a pair of pliers from his cargo pockets and smoothly made his exit out of the kitchen. Abigail's eyes lingered on the doorway until she turned and met King's gaze.

"Why can't you be that cool?"

King held an indignant pose and scowled at her.

"What are you talking about? I'll have you know, I _am_ that cool."

Abby stifled a giggle against the back of her hand.

"Is that right? Then I'd be worried if I were you. Wouldn't want your dick to fall off or anything…That would be a deprivation 85 of the female population and 15 of the males wouldn't be able to live without."

Caulder and Abigail both busted out laughing. King flicked them both off and turned to limp out of the kitchen, dejected…still clad in a towel


	3. A Door Left Ajar

Author's Note

Okay…decisions, decisions. I've decided that this story will be taking a turn into a more fleshed out approach. I hope y'all don't mind. I know some of you wanted a lighted hearted story and others have repeatedly requested another "Security-like' mini saga. And who am I to disappoint my fans? So, please excuse the slight summery change. I still keep my promise that I will do my best to make this a nail biter. Expect things to pick up in following chapters. Updates soon, I promise! Love to all of you!

McFadden-

Chapter 3: A Door Left Ajar…

Abby caroused down the long hall that split off into both her and King's living quarters. His room was near the center while hers was down at the end of the hall. She ambled past his door to see that it was open just a crack. She peeked inside to see King, sitting on the foot of his bed, crouched over and rubbing his ankle gingerly. When he jabbed at a particularly sensitive spot, he flinched and let out a hiss of pain. Abby felt sorry for him. He had really taken a beating earlier. A group of nine vampires had descended on King like a pack of rapid wolves. One in particular, had grabbed his ankle mid-kick and put the joint in a new location. She heard the pop and knew the excruciating pain that accompanied that sound, and now that everything was quiet, he was living the pain in retrospect. Abby rapt her knuckles lightly on his doorframe to signal her presence.

"Still sore?"

King looked up and met her eyes momentarily with his tired ones before returning them to his foot. He answered her softly.

"Yeah."

Abby came and knelt down in front of him. She removed his hand and tentatively took his ankle in her own. Tenderly, she brushed her fingers across his swollen ankle bone and carefully assessed the damage. After her visual assessment and prodding with her fingers she was able to determine that it was badly dislocated and that there might be some minor tissue damage to the tendon as well. She knew it would be Hell to have to lodge the socket back into place. Abby's voice was soft and full of concern when she next spoke.

"Okay…do you want the sour or the sweet first?"

King groaned. He knew what that meant; the bad news was damn near unbearable and even the good news wouldn't pleasant either. His hands just clawed at his eyes as Abby patiently waited.

"Give it to me straight Doc…"

"Well, the good news is that you get to rest for a few days."

_Fuck!_ He didn't want to stay cooped up in the hideout for a couple of days! His attention span was the equivalent of a crack-enhanced Chihuahua as it was. The only things that held his concentration was his job and his partners. He wasn't about to lie in bed for days on end. His eyes winced.

"And the sour…"

Abby hesitated for a moment. King braced himself.

"It's definitely dislocated and I think you need to reset it. Then I can wrap it up in an Ace bandage, get you some crutches and muscle-relaxers, and let you recover."

King shook his head furiously in decline. She could tell he was trying to suck it up. She also knew that if he didn't splint it in some was that he could severely injure himself indefinitely.

"No…I'll be alright."

Abby wasn't about to take no for an answer. She could also tell that he knew better. Given the massive amount of running they had to do for a living, damaging it further would mean he would be out of commission for months. And let's face it, as much as Abby loved Caulder, he didn't have half the spirit for fighting the way King does.

"King, please stop being a hardass and let me do this for you. I'm trying my best not to confine you to a bed. The sooner you do this, the faster you'll heal. You know I'm right…"

He grudgingly conceded. It wouldn't be the first time he had to pop a joint back in. She got up and ruffled his hair.

"Be right back."

When she left the room, King looked down on the floor where she had just been. He was going to hate this. She was right. His ankle was killing him. He just wanted to be too proud and let it slide. But, true to her word, he knew Abby would take care of him. She returned brandishing the long fleshed colored strip that would soon become part of his foot. He watched her as she sat back down again and put his foot on her lap.

I'm sorry for being a little too sarcastic in the kitchen earlier. You know that I can't ignore you for long. I hate to see you upset."

That's when realization dawned on King.

"Ahh…so _that's_ why you came in here. Eh. It's no skin off my back Sweetheart, just as long as you don't attack my manhood."

She smiled playfully at him.

"What? Too fragile?"

He gave her a warning look, but his eyes held no malice.

"Hey now…be nice. My injured foot is in you hands."

She looked up at him as innocently as she could.

"Oh I _am_ nice."

King looked at her skeptically.

"Yeah, you may look all sweet and cute now, but I know you better than that and guess what? I'm not buying it Sugar-puss."

Abby just went on setting up his ankle for what she hoped would be a quick pop. She eyed him cautiously.

"You ready."

The anticipation of his face grew and he shook his head, no. He then took a deep breath and nodded. Abby twisted it and they both heard a crunch followed by a colorful list of vocabulary words that she was sure weren't even a part of the English language. King slid from the bed to the floor in that brief moment and was now halfway leaning on Abby's shoulder. She smoothed down his hair and shushed him as Caulder rushed in the room with Zoë looking on from the hallway.

"What happened?

King groaned.

"We were playing 'Doctor' and Abby took it too seriously…"

She smirked at King. Trust him to have a sense of humor even at a time like this. She turned to Caulder and offered the true explanation.

"A dislocated ankle surrounded by torn muscle tissue."

Caulder just bent down and looked at his ankle, hissing at the bruising.

"Right nice job you did for yourself there."

King winced as he tried to sit up straight. He went to go touch his ankle and Abby slapped his hand away.

"Yeah well…I try."

Caulder just cracked a smile and turned around, patting Zoë and leading her out of the hallway. Abby gently wrapped his ankle in the bandage, but then halted herself. King looked at her, confused and expecting something else to be wrong. She sniffed the air and looked at King with an awkward expression. He knew that he was in trouble before Abby even opened her mouth.

"Is that my lotion I smell?"

Guilt made a fleeting pass across King's features but not before Abby saw it. She could already tell that he was in the process of concocting a lie and she caught it before his lips could even form the fib. She looked at him like a mother would look at a naughty child.

"Don't you dare lie to me Hannibal King…I can smell it on you!"

_Damnit! _He had no excuse for this one; no 'get out of jail free' card. He had to think fast.

"I was ashy…"

A smile crept on Abby's face and then she broke out into a full laugh before she could even stop herself. She couldn't even pretend to be mad at him anymore. Sometimes her friend was too much for his own good.

"I'm disappointed in you. That's the best you can come up with? I think you may be losing your touch."

He looked appalled by her statement.

"I'll have you know that 9 out of 10 women prefer a man with soft and supple skin."

Abby just continued to giggle.

"You know what…I don't even what to know why you were using it. Whatever the reason might be, I'm sure I would end up with nightmares if I found out. So, I'm going to go downstairs and get you a nice pair of crutches, some tasty food to wash down the 'feel good' pills, and try not to think of the possible uses you could have for my lotion. While I'm gone, try not to do anything stupid. And when I get back, I want you in that bed."

A mischievous grin appeared on his face and Abby immediately regretted her phrasing. She gave King a chastising look, but smiled along with it as she huffed.

"…You know what I mean!"

Abby returned half an hour later padding down the hall with crutches in one hand, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the other, and a bottle of water haphazardly resting in and out of a cargo pocket of her jeans. She heard King whimpering from where she stood and thought of what a big baby he could be. Listening harder she could barely make out what he was saying.

"Hurry Abby…hurry."

There was no sign of immediate danger in his voice, besides sounding out of breath. Setting the supplied outside his door, she crept up to peek in. It came as a shock to her that King was twisting around on his bed, moaning. But this wasn't moaning in agony, there he was, pleasuring himself and whispering her name over and over again. A part of her wanted to turn and run, but seeing him in this state made her oddly feel voyeuristic. Something about finding him this way both fascinated and intrigued her. Making sure that she was out of site, she continued to watch King stroke himself, undulating his hips faster and faster with his own rhythm. Abby was so caught up that she almost moaned with him. A few minutes passed as King looked as though he was reaching his peak; one of the crutches slid from it's propped up spot and landed with a loud bang on the floor. King immediately bolted up in his bed looking through the doorway, while Abby was nearly laid out in the hallway hoping that King didn't see her.


	4. And We All Fall Down

Author's Note

Hi Everyone! Not too much of a cliffhanger in that last chapter huh? Yeah, I know I suck! Thank you for the awesome reviews, ya'll rock my skull! I'm happy to see that people are still interested in my stories, what more could an author want…besides her own book deal? But alas I'll keep doing this until I release my own personal fiction book. I wonder how many people would actually buy it. Oh well, good health and happiness to each of you!

Xoxo-

McFadden-

Chapter 4: And We All Fall Down

Abby laid there, flat on her stomach, with her eyes clenched shut cursing away in her mind. She heard his wobbly misplaced footsteps hop closer and closer then come to a stop. King was now at the door. Holding her breath, she waited.

"Abby? Are you okay?"

What a pathetic sight she made. Looking up she saw King, cheeks flushed and staring at her with a furrowed brow. _How embarrassing is this! _All she could offer up was a measly response.

"Yeah."

She wasn't sure who was worse off. King being caught in his compromising situation, or her, sprawled out in front of his bedroom door. To her surprise, he just bent down, unsteadily, next to her offering a helping hand that Abby wasn't sure she wanted to touch.

"Well come on then. We don't need the both of us down for the count now, do we? With all your training in balance Whistler, it amazes me that you can still manage to trip over air."

She breathed a huge sigh of relief. _He didn't catch me! _Abby felt like doing a victory dance but thought better of it.She pushed herself off the floor causing the water bottle to come out of her pocket and roll towards King. One of his hands held onto her arm while the other picked it up. Abby also brandished the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that had somehow managed to come out undamaged and gave that to him also. After much difficulty of getting everything in the hall straightened out, Abby relentlessly order King to lie down. Once he settled on the bed, Abby turned to leave again.

"C'mon Abby, stay and keep me company. You know I'll try my best to hobble down those stairs in a few minutes anyway if you don't."

He was doing it, King was using his teddy bear charm on her and as pathetic as it was, she was actually buying it. She looked at him and huffed. Closing the door, she walked back and sat on the edge of the bed, reliving what had happened there moments before. This caused to her shift uncomfortably. Observing him, Abby took time to notice a spark in his eyes. That usually meant one of two things…he was about to lay on the thick sarcasm, or he was genuinely happy. For her sake, she hoped it was the latter. Nonetheless, she shook her head at him and spoke.

"Why couldn't I get a normal partner?"

King just lavished her with a big, goofy smile.

"…Because without me, there'd be a whole lot less of lovin'."

Abby gave him a condescending look but realized grudgingly, that he was right. The expression on his face just made her laugh. King began to consume his sandwich quickly, smacking in order to annoy her. Abby wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"I spend way too much time with you…"

He shook his head in disagreement as he topped off the last bite and swigged down half the bottle of water.

"I think not, Dear Whistler. Now, what do you say we cuddle and spoon?"

King pat the free side of his bed for her to climb in and lay down beside him but Abby just stared at him, trying not to crack a smile.

"I'm not that crazy, nor am I stupid enough to get into that bed with you."

He pouted, and still she wouldn't budge.

"C'mon, I'll paint your toenails!"

Abby threw him a sidelong glance and couldn't suppress the tiny laugh that escaped her throat. To show her that he was being completely serious, he leaned over and retrieved a small phial of nail polish from his bedside drawer. Abby needed to do a double take. _He actually had nail polish? Okay, now she really didn't want to know._

"I hope you don't mind black, but I save my slut-red for my more _personal_ dates…"

King then unhooked one of her legs from its Indian style position and straightened it out to begin his artistry. Abby sat still half in shock that he was actually painting her toenails and half because she didn't want to get black lacquer all over her foot. After a moment of silence between them, King decided to perk things up a bit he cleared his throat and began chatting with her in a fake girly voice.

"So….Like what's up with you and that sexy beast you're always walking around with? He's really hot."

Abby shook her head, giggling, and decided to play along.

"I don't know, I 'm more for the shy, un-abrasive type. He's just a big brute with a lot of muscle."

King scoffs and rolls his eyes, pretending to toss his imaginary long hair over his shoulder.

"Girl, I would _so _fuck him. Y'all should hook up."

Boy was he digging himself into a deep hole. Keeping an eye on her toes, she was presently surprised to find that King had the ability to retain it inside the lines. She found this whole situation more amusing by the second, so she continued to push his buttons.

"Nah…I think Caulder's more my type."

King's mouth gaped open in disbelief. His whole body went slack for a moment and he forgot about the girly façade he was trying to keep. Instead, his deep voice returned in a full whine, making him look utterly pitiful and juvenile.

"But Abby, you can hardly understand what he's saying half the time! And let's face it, even though he tries, nobody can pull off a beard like I can"

She reluctantly shook her head in agreement.

"You're right; I have to give credit where credit is due. King, no one will ever be able to top your facial grooming skills."

He beamed at her and screwed the cap back onto the nail polish, signaling that he was done. Abby admired her freshly painted toes by wiggling them back and forth. King tried to tickle the soles of her feet, but to no avail. He forgot that she wasn't sensitive there. Momentarily, his hand grazed up the side of her calf, feeling how impossibly smooth it was and he nearly shivered in delight. His imagination began to run wild. It had been so very long since he had a nice pair of legs wrapped around him and he was thinking of how orgasmic it would feel to be in the clutches of this particular pair. _Yeah…Whistler had nice legs indeed_.

"Umm King… Do you mind?"

Snapping out of his fantasy, King realized he was stroking her calve absentmindedly and he partner was staring at him completely confused and highly uncomfortable.

Sorry Abby, it s been a while for me ya know…"

He waggled his eyebrows at her and smiled while showing the tip of his tongue. She jerked her leg away from him, horrified, while he just chuckled at her. She stood up quickly and berated him with her eyes.

I'm going to go back downstairs. I have a lot of work to do and I think Dash may be back with the new car."

King pouted playfully, knowing that she was just trying to leave the room.

"Love em' and leave em huh?"

Abby let her head tilt back and she sighed at his dramatics. King pushed himself off of the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her his best 'bedroom eyes.'

"Come back if you get lonely."

_God, he has no morals!_ She just headed towards the doorway until his voice unexpectedly stopped her again.

"Oh and Whistler…"

She turned around and raised an expectant brow. King leaned casually against the doorframe, one crutch under his arm, with a smirk set pretentiously on his face

"The next time you want a show…just knock and I'll be sure to give you a private one."

He winked at her and hobbled back to the bed. Abby was shocked. He _had_ caught her! And the little scoundrel was proud of himself too. With her cheeks hot with shame, she turned and wordlessly walked out of the room.


	5. Mission Improbable

Author's Note

Ta-da! Here's to another chapter. I have to report that I'm going to have a busy few weeks ahead of me. This weekend I'll be away next taking care of my grandma, but I will be writing while I'm there. I just won't have the internet to post it. Then the week after that I'm going on vacation. I hope you all like the new chapter. Thank you so much for the great reviews, I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to post them. They give me encouragement to write more.

xoxo-

McFadden-

Chapter 5: Mission Improbable

Abigail met up with Dash downstairs, who was standing with Caulder. He turned towards her as she entered and dangled a set of keys in front of her face. She was impressed.

"That was fast. Did you get me my dream car?"

Dash gave a victorious nod.

"One midnight black Escalade with leather interior and a mad sound system."

Abby could hardly contain her giddiness as the keys dropped into her palm.

"I owe you a drink…"

"Damn right you do! Stealing it was the easy part. Do you have any idea how long it took me to peel off that fucking 'soccer mom' decal off of the gas cover?"

Abby laughed

"Thanks Dash."

"So how's the big baby upstairs?"

Abby rolled her eyes.

"A pain in my ass! Everything is patched up as well as can be. The next few days are going to be taxing on my patience though. He's already propositioned me twice, and that was _before_ the painkillers…"

Dash made a pained face and rubbed her back, sympathetically.

"On second thought…maybe _I _owe _you_ a drink."

Abby just rubbed the oncoming sleep from her eyes with her fists. Caulder came up behind her and gave her a nudge with his hand on the small of her back. Dash began tuning up and stocking the car with the necessary provisions. Abby and Caulder began walking to the computer center where coordinates of a map were blinking on the screen.

"Sander seems to want to raise hell sooner than we expected. Dash and I spotted him at a downtown port. Since sunrise is in about an hour and a half, that's going to give us some time to figure out a plan of action during the daytime tomorrow. You on the other hand, need to rest up. With King in his condition, you and I will be pairing up for tomorrow night."

Right away, Abigail knew King wasn't going to like this idea one bit. She started shaking her head vehemently.

"He'll never agree with that and you know it! What are you going to do with him? It's not like you can lock him in his room and say…Okay King, you're going to stay here and let me have all of your fun."

Without risking another shouting match, Caulder just sighed and tried to point out the logistics of the situation.

"Abby, chill…you know that you and I are better equipped to handle those brothers anyway; we've been researching them for almost a year now. Did you forget our secret? Do you think King would rationally be able to do anything, especially when he's busted up the way he is?"

He wasn't completely wrong and that made Abby's uneasiness heighten. Not only did she regret holding a secret from King, but now she'd be forced to go out without him by her side. Going out alone was one thing, but with Caulder…it just didn't feel right. True, most of the time, her acrid partner threw caution to the wind, but that's what made it more exciting. Subtlety wasn't exactly King's middle name, but there were certain advantages he had over the rest of them. He wanted revenge; he wanted it more than anything. And he already knew the inner workings of the system. Above all else, with him, she felt safe.

"Please don't set aside the fact that he used to _be_ one of them. But, he _is_ injured and does need to rest."

Caulder just remained silent and led Abby to her bedroom door.

"I'll wake you when it's time…and please don't worry. Everything will be fine."

She collapsed on her bed with a new heavy burden weighing down on her shoulders. A terrible sense of foreboding came over her and suddenly she became sad. This was what Sommer must have felt before Drake got to her. Abby always thought of Sommer when she had déja vu or a feeling of six senses. This was going to be hard. What was she going to tell King when he found out? She groaned and turned onto her side. Sleep wasn't going to come easy today. Abby just knew nightmares were on the way in.

She couldn't move. She was on fire; at least that's what it felt like. Any moment she felt like she was going to spontaneously combust. Her lungs were burning from trying to get a decent breath into her body. There were beads of sweat on her forehead that mixed into blood as they slid down the side of her face. Darkness shrouded her and all she could hear were her own screams, but they were only coming from her mind. When she opened her mouth, her inner screams fell silent in the thick, humid air. A voice rang out in the darkness with stinging finality.

"_Close your eyes…"_

Abby shot straight up, breathing heavily from her nightmare. Frantically, she searched around for whom the voice may have belonged to. Finding no one in her room, she dropped back into the mattress and tried to erase the nightmare from her memory, knowing from past experiences that it wasn't going to work. The sun was setting and dusk was creeping in, casting an eerie pale blue light in her room. Fifteen minutes later, Caulder popped his head in her door.

"Whistler…get ready. We're out of here in two hours time. The trap is set."

She glanced at the ruggedly handsome Norwegian man from her pillows, a look of connotation in her eyes. Her voice was somewhat softer than it normally was.

"Caulder, do me a favor?"

He crossed his arms and rested lightly on his heels for a minute.

"Sure thing…"

Abby closed her eyes with a furrowed brow and covered her face with her hand. Her fatigue truly showed.

"Don't call me Whistler tonight."

He nodded, completely understanding without saying a word. The name game, was strictly a thing between her and King, sort of a comfort for them. The rest of the crew had picked up the last name reference purely by habit. He knew tonight would be a difficult one for her without her cocky and brash counterpart but he would look out for her just the same.

Abby was going to hate what she was about to do. She prepared herself for yelling, screaming, temper-tantrums, and maybe a little bloodshed. Sooner or later, it was going to have to be done though. She was going in to tell King that he had to sit this one out. Normally, he might have not taken it so bad, but tonight was going to be huge! This was a major bust. Making sure to knock first, she heard a grunt from the other side of the door, which to her, meant that it was okay to come in. So, taking in a deep breath and plastering on a sweet smile, Abigail walked into his room. As soon as she had entered, King knew something was up. Abby was wearing that grin again. The last time he saw that grin was about 3 months ago when she wrecked his Ducati by taking it for a spin, and having to lay it down on the asphalt when three vampires tried to run her off the road.

"What did you break this time?"

Her smile softened into a real one as she recalled the incident he referred to. She sat on the bed and tried to dodge his question by asking him one.

"How are you feeling?"

King swiftly picked up on her technique and was not about to let her get away that easy.

"I'm fine for the moment…until you tell me what you broke. I mean, here I am, laid up in bed, infirmed. I haven't seen you all day and now you show up with this innocent look on your face. You must've broken something."

She sighed and closed her eyes, peeking out at his with a pained look on her face. King sat up quickly.

"I knew it!"

Abby raised her hands up in her defense.

"Wait a minute…I didn't _break _anything. I just have to tell you something…"

King motioned for her to go on, but judging from her demeanor, he still wasn't going to be a happy camper when he found out what it was.

"I'm going hunting for Sander and Dalton tonight. Now before you say anything, I'm not going alone…I'm not that stupid…"

Suddenly King interrupted her.

Fuckin' right! I'm gonna…"

Abby decided to cut him short this time before he leapt out of bed and started getting ready. Although, she was sure he'd be leaping out of that bed in five seconds anyway…to choke her.

"…Caulder's coming with me."

All of his coloring drained from his face and Abby realized how he strangely resembled himself when she first picked him up, body wracked with Anemia and, ironically, covered in blood. For the moment, he just sat there paralyzed. Then Abby saw the fire that was flickering to life in his eyes as his anger built up.

"You're gonna get fucking killed! That bloody foreigner doesn't know what the hell he's doing out there and you know damn good and well that you can't afford to fuck up with these two."

"Exactly! That's why you are staying here. You're injured King! I can't risk having you be forced to half-ass a job because you can barely stand up straight. Look, I don't like this idea either…Trust me."

King looked torn and frustrated with his own anger. His voice was soft and pleading with resolve.

"He can't protect you like I do, Abby…"

She offered him a smile. No matter how much experience she had, he would always feel the need to keep her safe. Reaching for his hand, Abigail gave it a small pat and looked at him with determination.

"I'm a big girl…I can take care of myself. Right now, I need to get ready. I'll come back in to see you before I leave, okay?"

With that, she left him and headed for the locker rooms. It felt really odd, grabbing all of her gear by herself. Usually King had it down to a science. He would pass her the equipment and help her secure her holsters, making sure they were tight enough, even if Abby was going out alone to handle the lighter side of slaying. Not to mention the room was too quiet. Caulder was just stone set in his concentration. At this point, King would offer up some quips of his to lighten the mood and get her relaxed enough to go out. She looked up at Caulder one more time and met his eyes as he spoke.

"Everything good?"

She simply nodded.

"He'll survive…but I do need to tell him that we're leaving."

King's door was opened and the horrid sounds of Wayne Newton filled the air inside. _He was pouting…_He looked pathetic and disgruntled still laying in bed in his pajamas, while she on the other hand, was decked out for battle.

"Come to gloat, have you?"

Abby gave a slight sigh at his childish behavior, but that was just his way of dealing with things. If it were her in his situation, she would've just given him the cold shoulder and a case of silent treatment.

"You know I wouldn't do that to you…Not right now at least. I've come to tell you that we're leaving. Do you need anything before I go?"

He wouldn't even look at her. He just laid there staring into the oblivion of the ceiling.

"Nothing I can't get for myself by falling down the stairs and breaking my neck, but thank you anyway."

He was being so dramatic.

"Seriously King…anything?"

Finally he looked up at her with a serious glance.

"No Whistler, I'm okay."

She shrugged not really knowing what else to do or say. She knew Caulder was waiting on her at the foot of the stairs.

"Well then, I'm gone…I'll check in when I get home. Get some rest."

As she left, King's eyes trailed her form out of the room. He had an uneasy feeling, somehow making her retreating image stick in his mind. He whispered even though he knew she wouldn't be able to hear him.

"Be safe Abby."


	6. The Haunting Truth

Author's Note

Okay, action time…sort of. Let's see if I can pull this off. It's a big update. Also, upon popular request, the secret is revealed! Dun…dun…dun! Thanks a ton for the enthusiastic reviews and notes. Hope y'all enjoy this latest installment and for my American fans, I hope you are have a safe and happy 4th of July weekend. Read on and be entertained…

McFadden-

Chapter 6: The Haunting Truth

The night air was much quieter than it had been in previous weeks. Not a gust of wind was evident anywhere. Abigail would have to be extra cautious on top of all their preparations. If either one of them made the slightest move in the wrong direction they would definitely be heard. Caulder's information had led them to an old shipyard that seemed to be condemned; a perfect place for vampires to commune. Abby lingered in the distance, still and crouch like a cat in the attack position. She counted about 15 or 16 vampires grouped together. They moved around in packs, like wolves. Caulder had moved from her to go around the side for a closer view. Suddenly, all the vampires grew quiet and stood still. One of the rusty doors to the hangers rolled up and both Sander and Dalton strode out together. Their canines gleamed as they smiled in the moonlight. _Those cocky sons of bitches!_ All Abby wanted to do was rip them limb from limb and watch each piece incinerate individually. Now, she just had to wait for the signal from Caulder. If they didn't move fast, they were going to be discovered. Just then, Abby heard his voice in her ear overshadowed by static.

"Abigail…you take out the left side, I'm going to run across behind them on the right."

_Bad idea! Bad idea! _They would be giving Dalton and Sander a perfect escape route. If she followed that path, her time would be taken up by the vamps on the outskirts of the group. She'd have to fight them off one by one. That would take up too much time. She hissed at him over the receiver in an angry whisper.

"If we do that, we'll get slaughtered Caulder! I saw we attack right in the middle and take out their 'family jewels.' Fuck the rest of the Goth-wannabes. We can com back and take care of them later."

Apparently, Caulder had chosen to ignore her request. She saw him charge out from behind a hundred gallon oil drum. Abby closed her eyes as the fury built up within her. _This wasn't going to be good…_ Running from her hiding spot towards the fray she screamed in anger.

"Fuck!"

They had already begun to ascend on Caulder when Abby pulled out her bow and fired her first shot into the back of a younger vampire. Keeping the others at bay didn't start off as a problem, but Abby was trying to keep an eye on the brothers as they scrambled for refuge. In her distraction, a particularly nasty looking blood sucking parasite tried to cut her neck with a knife, but missed and ended up slicing her deep in her left shoulder. She turned just in time to see him burst into flames. As they disintegrated in air, she caught the view of Caulder with one of King's electronic pistols. The first thing he noticed was that she was bloody, her own blood too, from the looks of it. He wondered if she was seriously in need of a doctor, but she didn't seem to be slowing down any from her injury. Abby vented her anger with him by killing every vampire she can in contact with, each time while sending a murderous glance his way. Caulder knew that he wouldn't be in good standing with her after this was over. One girl with extra long nails used them to claw at Abby while she swiftly gave the bitch a roundhouse to the head. The dagger at the tip of her boot penetrated the girl's skull and she exploded from the inside out. Feeling her back, Abigail was aware of how her back stung and felt like raw me from the scratches. She could also feel her energy diminishing. Quickly, she looked up and saw that only Dalton was there. Sander had scampered off, leaving his brother to clean up the mess.

"Ahh Abby…Long time, no see baby…You look well"

She hated the sound of his sniveling voice. For a moment she wished he was a mortal so that she could just torment him, but given his immortality, she knew his strength was great.

"Go fuck yourself Dalton! Where that pussy brother of yours? Already ran to hide I see. Well I'm sorry, but I'm not up for playing games tonight."

Caulder had come to Abby's side and Dalton narrowed his eyes at him, and then looked back at her. He raised one of his sharp eyebrows.

"Where's the big goon that's always attached to your side? You guys have a fight? Or did he die already? Either answer would bring me such joy _Whistler_,"

"Eat me, you fucking incestuous freak…"

Dalton ran a meticulously manicured nail down the side of her cheek, drawing with it, a line of blood. Abby didn't even flinch, just continued to stare at him maliciously, her fist clenched tightly around the bow at her side.

"Ohh Abby, you know I'd love to. Don't make the offer unless you intend to keep it though sweetheart…nobody likes a tease. You know how long I've waited for this."

He brought his blood covered finger up to his mouth, his long fang emerging. His tongue lapped up the remains as his shivered in desire. Abby tensed angrily at the sight. Dalton flashed her a sick smile and his eyes darted downward to her compound bow.

"Get any better with that hellish thing."

Her voice came laced with sarcasm.

"Yes…please let me _show_ you."

He laughed and waved her request away with his hand. His languid gesture infuriated her. She wanted nothing more than to take him out right there, but a noise stopped her. A shot range out in the distance, making both Caulder and Abby duck. She knew that sound. She looked behind herself. In the distance they saw Dash driving up in the Escalade while hanging out of the window with her revolver filled with Lucky Sevens. Turning back, she discovered that Dalton has disappeared into the darkness. The black vehicle pulled up next to them and Dash hopped out letting Abby lean on him as she climbed with much difficulty into the back. Caulder tried to assist her as well, but she refused to let him touch her. He didn't get a foot in the car before she started with her vicious tongue lashing.

Back in the Hideout, King had moved himself down the equipment room with help from Dash before he left to assist Caulder and Abby, should they need him. How he anxiously waited for her to return. He had propped his legs up on the bench and watched old minidisks of previous kills. If he couldn't be out there fighting them, then he could live vicariously in the moment through these. _Ahh… the glory of new technology._ Twenty minutes of blood, guts, and carnage had him all wrapped up in his past festivities until King heard a rustle from outside the steel door. Abigail's yelling was muffled, but King could clearly hear her screaming at Caulder.

"I'm fine, god damnit! Let me go!"

Abigail had come staggering into the door, covered in blood. She gave a powerful shove and sent Caulder falling back and tumbling out of the doorway. After slamming it shut so that he couldn't come back in; she leaned against the back of the door, breathing heavily, and thoroughly exhausted. King hastily stood up and hopped to her side making her sit down on the bench.

"What the fuck happened to you, babe? They didn't hurt you did they?"

Abby cringed as she straightened out her muscles. Her bones and joints popped under the pressure and strain. She moaned again and turned to King.

"A scratch…that's all."

"Bullshit, a scratch! You look like Carrie after the fucking prom."

To Abby, A scratch meant a deep cut. Judging by the amount of blood drying on her, she had a few. Hell, he couldn't even tell if they weren't life threatening. Whatever the status, they surely needed to be disinfected. Apparently she knew this too, because the first thing she reached for was the First aid kit and took out the peroxide. King ran, got her a towel, and wet it. Abby peeled off her shirt that was stuck to her back with an agonizing scream. King was horrified to see the flesh hanging there.

"Fucking Christ Abby! Tell me why you look like you've been mauled by a tiger?"

Between the hissing breaths and occasional curses, Abby began to describe her night play by play. King helped clean her cuts, wincing along with her as he poured alcohol here and there. For the most part of her commentary, he was quiet. That was until she explained how she got the cuts on her shoulder and back

"I'll fucking kill Caulder!"

"King, he was the one who killed the one who tried to slit my throat."

King shook his head.

"Well he didn't do it quickly enough! The blade still caught you in the shoulder. At least please tell me something good came of this. Please tell me you got those bastard twins."

He looked at her pleadingly. He hated to see her in pain, especially when he knew it could've been avoided had he been there instead. Looking at her face, he realized that she was answering his question with a look. They didn't even kill one of them. King felt her tense as he questioned her why with his eye.

"About that…it's a very long story King."

There was her nervous laughter. He wasn't going to let her pull the dodge again. From giving her a firm look; Abby knew that she had to come clean about her secret. King just sat there and patiently waited for her to start.

"I've got all night Whistler…spill."

She took a deep breath and cautiously proceeded.

"Well…Sander and Dalton, I knew them."

This was a revelation for King. He was out and out confused.

"How the hell do you know those two fuck-asses?"

"They…umm… they used to be Nightstalkers."

There she said it. She waited for an outburst, but none came. King was just numb. How the hell could Abigail, the one person he trusted with his life, hide _this_! He couldn't breathe. All those years that he'd spent in his living hell; all those nights that passed in the company of those bragging assholes and not once had they mentioned that they used to be Nightstalkers themselves. Every emotion possible came flooding back through him and Abby saw his muscles strain. Suddenly she wondered if it was a good idea that she even told him. She was sure that, had she been anyone else right then, he would have hit her.

"What the fuck! And just when the fuck were you planning on telling me huh? Never! I cannot believe you Whistler. I trusted you! I've told you everything. EVERYTHING! I have never hidden any secret from you. You know every detail of my life…even all the times Danica blood-raped me and exactly how she did it. No matter how humiliating it was, I still at the very least came to you and told you all about it!"

Abby not only felt like she got hit with a Mac truck but her heart was broken because she had hurt him. But, all this time she felt like she was protecting him by keeping that from him, and that fact angered her because he couldn't see that.

"That was years before you came into view King! Five years, in fact! They were like the black sheep of the family that strayed from the flock. That's what makes them so dangerous to us. Sander and Dalton knew everything, every angle we would've pulled out at them. That why we've evaded them for so long. Now, thanks to our recent advanced in the system, we actually have a fighting chance against them. Imagine our surprise when we found out right after you started your detoxification that you were affiliated with them. So we thought it best if we left that minor detail out. Once Drake took out…well…when Caulder came, I _had_ to tell him about the brothers. It was a technicality, someone else beside you, needed to know the truth just as a precaution. I just didn't say anything till now because I didn't know how it would affect you."

King stood up, towering over her, but Abby also got up as he started to yell, advancing on her until her back hit the cement brick wall.

"Minor! Abby that's not fucking minor! What the fuck? I thought all the Nightstalker's secrets were out in the open for me. What other kind of skeletal shit do you have hiding in the closet huh?"

She took a deep frustrated breath. This was getting way out of hand. She didn't want to lose her best friend because of something like this.

"Look, everyone has their deep and dark secrets of their past. Dash doesn't know either. The secret nearly died with Drake destruction. This secret just happens to be one that we share…"

"Yeah, no shit! You want to talk about a dark past, look at my past Abby! Oops! I forgot…you already know _everything _about my past! I just didn't know we had that particular part in common. I can't believe you kept this from me even after you found out from me that, next to Dan and Asher, they were the worst of their kind. I could've helped you before this happened."

All of her patience was drawing thin and about to fly out of the window from being cornered this way. She understood his anger and even deserved his yelling, but why couldn't he just understand that this whole fiasco with the brothers happened years ago when she, herself, was just another rookie.

"I can handle it King."

His eyes grew wide and wild and his body language more outlandish.

"Oh, of course you can! You're doing a bang up job so far!"

In a sudden fit of rage, King completely swiped his muscular arm across the top of the desk. Everything, including some weapons, data, and even one of their laptops, fell to the ground. Abby stared, dumbfounded at the sight of the sparking electronics. She looked up at him. The flicker of wrath died down in his eyes and was replaced by hurt and betrayal. He pulled her into a hard hug and held her tightly. King didn't care about the blood or the grime covering her, it was all protocol. Whispering with a raspy voice into her ear, his nails dug slightly into Abby's back too close to the other nail marks for comfort. He was so livid and the pressure he was causing on her back was killing her.

"Don't ever do that again. I don't want to have your life jeopardized because of some scandalizing secret of the past. You're too important to me God damnit."

King's hold on her seemed to soften into an embrace as he appeared to hold onto her for dear life. In return, she wrapped her sticky arms around his waist and rested against his body, feeling him as he tensed and relaxed, then he pulled away. When he spoke, his voice was cold.

"Why don't you go and get changed, you look like shit."

Even though his words stung, she knew he was probably right. She ran upstairs and changed into a oversized shirt that wouldn't bother her back so much and opted for some track pants. Going down to the kitchen, she realized she was in desperate need of coffee. While she poured a cup, she noticed that it was way too quiet in the hideout. She knew Dash was outside washing soot from the car, but she had no idea where Caulder was, nor did she know where King was for that matter; and that scared her. Pulling out a chair, she rested her elbow on the table and closed her eyes, willing the pain and stress to go away. Her tension didn't ease up in the slightest. In fact, it escalated with the distinct sound of bodies slamming up against the wall. She just sighed. King had found Caulder. Deciding to stay out of it, Abigail picked up the accent section of the newspaper. Right then, the remote control to the television flew in the doorway, hitting the counter and shattering, followed by a holster landing in the sink. Abby wrapped her hand around the coffee mug to protect it from the onslaught of debris. She continued to read the paper, completely unfazed by King's outburst. As far as she was concerned, she had her verbal punishment and now it was Caulder's turn. He didn't really deserve it, but that didn't stop him from getting various objects thrown in his direction.

"You fucker!"

This time a shoe flew across the kitchen, narrowly missing her head in the process. Judging from its speed, had it made contact, it might have knocked her out. King walked through the doorway with all of his muscles taut and ready to throw a punch. Needless to say, his mouth was still going.

"You were in on it too. How could you dare let her get injured? She could've fucking gotten killed you mindless fuck! And how could you both keep lying to me all this time? You know what, next time you two ever get in a bind, don't expect me to be the one to save your asses!"

Abby had finally had enough of his accusations and empty threats. It wasn't like she even had much of a choice in keeping the secret. She slammed the paper down along with her fist on the table. The impact was hard enough to break her coffee mug and have the scalding liquid burn her arm. King froze, seeing Abby completely silent. The only indication that she felt the blistering skin was the fact that her arms were shaking slightly.

"Damnit King, that's enough! You're mad…I get that. I wasn't anymore injured than I would've been had you been there. Okay, maybe not, but it's not Caulder's fault for keeping the secret, it was mine…So lay off! You can't very well be bitter forever. If you do that then you may as well just go rejoin their side because that'll make you no better than they are! It's your choice!"

Complete silence filled the air as Abby stormed out of the room, muttering curses and gingerly wiping her reddened arms. King's shoulders finally slumped and he ran out, trying to catch her and forgetting about Caulder altogether.


	7. Raging Storms Bring Tumultuous Feelings

Author's Note

Okay ladies and gents, this is what was supposed to be my last update before I went out of town. However, hurricane Dennis had other plans while I was away and decided to sabotage my laptop.

So, my apologies to all of you for waiting. On the happier side… The response for the last chapter was awesome! I'm glad to see most of you liked the plot twist. It's very encouraging to me because I love keeping people on the edge. Be safe and sound and keep the reviews coming. I love hearing your opinions! Thank ya'll for everything!

McFadden-

Chapter 7: Raging Storms Bring Tumultuous Feelings

King knew that Abby was fast. It didn't matter whether she was walking or running. So it was no surprise to him that she was halfway to the steel door exit when he was hobbling out of the kitchen. He tried his best to catch up with her, but with each step of his, she only seemed to get farther and farther away.

"Abby!"

Although she paused when she heard her name being called, she recognized the voice and continued walking a little faster this time. King noticed and grunted as he tried to pick up the pace himself. If he didn't catch her soon, he knew that days of silence and cold shoulders were ahead of him…and Abby's were the worst.

"Abigail…"

He was inching closer but he still couldn't get there. With her still not stopping and King surely about to break something, he cursed and screamed out her last name. His voice was so loud that it echoed off the walls.

"WHISTLER!"

He saw her flinch a bit. His hand tried to get hold of her wrist but it was just out of reach. If she didn't stop this time he was definitely going to fall down. Feeling his legs about to give out on him, he let out an aggravated sigh.

"Jesus Christ, would you slow down? I'm a fucking cripple for God sakes."

She whirled around fast and only then did he notice the tears streaked on her face. His jaw went slack. Obviously, now wasn't the time to be crackin' jokes. Abby had too much stress on her at once. Trying her usual cover by hiding it, wasn't helping out at all. Right now, she didn't care who saw her crying. Abby was officially broken beyond repair. Her voice was full of pent up emotion.

"What do you want King? Didn't get it out of your system yet? Haven't you done enough for one night? I'm already torn up physically and emotionally, what more could you do?"

King faulted with his answers and stammered a bit. He knew exactly what he wanted to say; he just didn't know how to say it.

"I… I want you… I want…"

Her brows creased in anger. How dare he ask anything of her right now! She shouted at him.

"You want me to what, King?"

His voice returned much softer than she was used to hearing, and she saw that he was actually unsure of himself. Never did she expect what would come out of his mouth next.

"I want you…That's it."

Her face was still upset but more confused as if she was trying to process everything around her. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair

"What? King, what the hell are you talking about?"

His gaze on her looked so vulnerable that it almost ruined her to look at him. She didn't understand what was going on inside that head of his. He looked like at any moment, he himself, was going to cry.

"Abby, I've never been so close to losing you like I was tonight. Sitting here just waiting for you to show up, it was torture on me. I belong with you, at your side. Not some crazy Norwegian! I was in _agony_ without you. I don't want to ever feel like that again."

He came up and touched her face, threading his fingers through her hair. King felt how she shook from the pain she was in because of her injuries and burns. But, she also shivered underneath his fingers. His forehead touched hers as his lips were closer than they had ever been before. The atmosphere was intense and concentrated on them. As King was about to close the gap between them, Abby drew back at the last second. With a low and almost disappointed voice, she whispered.

"You don't know what you want King…"

The ferocity and passion duel for dominance in his eyes as he registered what she said. Before she could comprehend what happened, Abby found herself being bodily thrust up again the wall. King's eyes remained locked on her as his hand went around her throat. Her only response was a look of shock. He could've ended her life with just one squeeze, but his touch on her neck was gentle, contrary to what it seemed. King turned her head slightly to the side and brought his lips close to her ear with a deathly serious whisper.

"Don't _ever_ try to tell me that I don't know what I want. I know that I will _never_ go back to what I was when I met you. And I know that I need you to keep me from that darkness."

Telling from the determined look in his eyes, Abby then knew that he meant every word. She also recognized that look. King had resulted to his primal urges, the ones that were so strong from the traces of vampirism still left inside of him. Her eyes closed once again as she willed herself not to sob all over again. Sometimes it was so hard to understand that no matter how many treatments he'd gone through, there was something darker always lurking inside of him. Within moments, she felt his grip on her lighten and then he finally released her. Abby hand immediately went to her neck to try and sooth her throat and the delicate flesh surrounding it. King on the other hand, wobbled for a moment and collapsed under the stress of his mental anguish and physical exertion. He turned on his side and groaned, grabbing his ankle. From the floor, he glance at Abigail with sad eyes and, although reluctantly, she bent down next to him. Truthfully, she wanted to just leave him there and go on the rooftop for some fresh air.

"I'm sorry Abby."

Although the phrase was small in its simplicity, Abby had to forgive him. It was rare that King made such an apology without some snide remark or sarcastic joke following it to lessen the value. So she took these private moments and secretly cherished them for herself. In turn she pursed her lips together and ruffled his hair.

"C'mon you big lug, let me help you up."

She offered him a hand, momentarily forgetting that it was burned. That was, until he grabbed it and Abigail let a wail of pain and snatched it back from his grasp, recoil on the opposite wall. King hissed at the knowledge of how much that must have hurt and he hoisted himself up by bracing against the steel doorframe. He tentatively helped Abby up by the elbow.

"So…"

He began awkwardly. King wasn't all that good with post-argument make-ups unless they involved sex. And no matter how much he would like to entertain that idea a little longer, it was pretty much an impossibility. Abby was in no way, shape, or form letting King get closer than usual. He'd pretty much broken the daily _3-touch minimum_ Abby set up for him to abide by whenever she was irritated or tired Looking down the hallway he had just limped and she ran, then to the steel door, he asked her.

"Which way are you going?"

Abby nudged the door with her shoulder and left without answering him. Not that King really needed a reply to guess where she was headed. That door led to the rooftop. Now, his big decision was whether or not to risk following her when she obviously wanted time to herself.

Once out of King's sight, Abby herself collapsed on the gritty tar covered roof completely exhausted. She noted in an instant that the wind had picked up considerably in the last hour or so, which meant only one thing. A storm was on its way. Deciding right then, Abby would wait up until it came. The air was cool and refreshing as it blew errant strands of her hair about. She watched in silence as the clouds grew deeper and more menacing in the distance. Only a few stars were left flecking the sky in diamond-like dust. Give her a night like this and she'd stay on this roof till morning just enjoying the atmosphere. As time passed, Abby realized that she must've been caught up in her own thoughts because when she peered upward again, thick, black clouds engulfed what was left of the clear sky. Little to her knowledge, she was not alone anymore. King, who had been leaning on the railing at the other side for the last 20 minutes, was now watching her from behind. He felt that it would be safe enough for him to reveal himself because of the relaxed waves radiating from his partner. As his first footstep crunched the gravelly tar he saw her back stiffen in reaction. Abby almost whirled around but she then caught the faint scent of King's cologne, and sighed. She should've known better than to expect privacy, however, his presence made her relax more fully than she had been on her own. King stopped just short of her peripheral vision and sat somewhere behind her. His voice filled the air over her right shoulder.

"Look Abby…"

_Here comes another awkward moment_, she thought.

"…That one looks like a kitty."

King pointed to a cloud formation that had somehow strayed from the big mass that was now looming over them. All seriousness she had was broken by that random and unexpected comment, and Abby actually chuckled and nodded silently in agreement. Scooting next to her, he stretched both his arms out in front of him, looking at them casually, seeing different scrapes. King spoke again, this time hesitantly.

"So…"

Abigail inclined her head towards him.

"…you show me yours, I'll show you mine."

Abby smirked and looked at her own abrasions, raising an eyebrow at some particularly nasty ones. King leaned over and examined her arm too, grimacing. A hard gust ruffled Abigail's hair around them. Trapped inside, she began to feel his closeness a little more acutely than she would've liked. By the sight of King, Abby knew he felt it too. His hand traveled slowly up her arm and pulled aside the strap of her camisole. Underneath it laid a moderately deep gash. Wordlessly, he stared, intent upon it. Then, without warning, his head bent down and Abby felt the press of King's lips on her laceration. Laving at the cut with his tongue, he withdrew, his mouth lingering just centimeters above her skin. Abby's eyes fell closed at the contact and remained closed even as King broke it. She heard his breathing had changed to a deeper but rapid pace, no doubt attributed by the excess endorphins being released into his body. When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself face to face with King, whose eyes were now boring into hers. Unconsciously, he leaned into her and caught to lips in a tentative kiss. Abby felt his hands come up to caress her cheeks as his mouth grew bolder. As soon as they broke apart lightening shattered the sky, follow by an explosion of thunder. Both Abby and King looked up. King spoke first.

"Should we head in?"

Abby shook her head no. The rain began to fall in sheets which both soothed and stung her skin. The coolness was welcomed on the parts of her flesh that was blistered and flayed. Within seconds he clothes had been soaked through which didn't leave much protection for the bare skin underneath. Abby caught King's heated eyes looking across her body. As the storm rage on, King's lips crashed down on hers again as her hand roved up under his shirt, feeling all the expanse of muscle there. She quickly rid him of it as he pushed her up against the target practice wall. He pulled off her sodden tank top and moved his ministration to her collarbone. A moan escaped from Abigail's mouth that made King look up at her with a small smirk as his kissed her again. The wind blew harshly and made her skin prick with an icy feeling. Abby bit his shoulder which made King become rougher with her. She smiled into his neck as she felt his fingers work their way into her underwear and her head fell back against the brick when he inserted two of them inside of her. King watched as the pleasure filled her face and her breathing became labored. This was proving his point to her perfectly. As he felt her rock up against him, he knew that it wouldn't be long until she reached her peak. He leaned in and caught her earlobe between his teeth, and then he whispered to her over the wind and rain.

"Don't ever tell me that I don't know what I want _ever_ again…"

That was all it took for Abby to break as she screamed and moaned against King's powerful shoulder. As she came down from her orgasm, she just noticed that King was holding her against him and his hard erection pressed up against her thigh. Her hand traveled down to his waist before it was caught by his own. She looked up at him and her shook his head.

"No…not yet."

Watering was dripping off of every inch of him which made it harder for Abby to control her own urges. He grabbed her wrist, kissing the inside of it very tenderly and led her inside the hideout and down to the second floor. There were so many confusing things swirling around in her mind that she wanted to voice, but somehow she knew that right now wasn't the time to say anything. King remained silent as he led her down the hallway to his room, opening the door and letting Abby enter first. He followed her and kicked the door shut with his crutch, locking it with a soft click.


	8. Last Days

Author's Note:

The woes of computers continue…the one that I used yesterday DELETED MY STORY! God…but thanks to this old monster computer sitting in my father's garage I was able to retrieve it from there. Anyone ever have that sort of disk problem? But alas I come baring good news…BIG UPDATE! Yes that's right ladies and gentlemen I have gotten out of my writer's funk and am back in business. Although, as with every story, this one is going to round to a close in the next couple of chapter, so expect then to be intense. I've been struggling with this chapter for the past 3 days because of said problems; I hope y'all think it turned out okay. I'm thrilled at the responses I've received from the last chapter. I've gotten some new fans lately and I'd like to say thank you to them and to the ones who have stuck around for the better part of a year. Please let me know when I should put down the quill and dry up the ink pot! Be safe and happy…and, of course, enjoy the show.

McFadden-

Chapter 8: Last Days

All Abby could comprehend at the moment was that his sheets were cool and silky as King crawled on top of her. The rain that was left clinging to his body soon rolled down Abby's skin as King's mouth came in contact with hers once more. This kiss was slow and sensual compared to the sweet, almost shy one that they shared earlier. He possessed her mouth so fully that it sent chills through her body in such a way she'd never felt before. King ran his palm up the smoothness of her thigh. Somewhere in the depths of his mind, he still couldn't believe this was happening. He knew that Abby wasn't a virgin but he preferred to think that prudish ol' Whistler was having her very first sexual awakening with him. She began to whimper and moan lightly with each brush of his fingertips and he shushed her by blowing little puffs of air up her abdomen. Abigail threaded her hands into his soft hair tugging him upward for another long kiss.

"Stay up here for a little while…"

King gave her an adorable little smile and growled into her ear. Abby turned her head to the side when he started to place small kisses across her jaw line. She saw her red and white striped bandana hangin from the bedpost. She laughed and fingered the fabric. King stopped his worshipping.

"I was wondering where this had disappeared to."

Lifting his head to look, King smirked, bringing Abby's attention back to him by nuzzling the crook of her neck and inhaling deeply. His voice sounded dreamy, which is something you weren't used to hearing.

"Yeah I stole it about a month ago…it smelled like you."

Abby giggled and quirked her eyebrow at him.

"That's because it is mine… I don't know whether to think you're very sweet or just a strange freak."

King chuckled as he leaned down to suck on her throat while mumbling loud enough for Abby to hear.

"I'll show you how much of a freak I am."

A shiver ran down Abigail's spine at the sheer thought of what he had in mind. She didn't have to wait much longer however because she felt his thumbs hook underneath the straps on her underwear and roll them down her legs. King sat up and retrieved his wallet from his jeans that were piled on the floor with the rest of his clothes from earlier. He pulled out a condom and Abby started to sit up and move towards him. Putting his hand on her thigh, King stopped her. The package was soon discarded and he was slipping his body in between her legs. Finally Abby got the chance to sit up as he entered her with one slow thrust. Her hands raked up the expanse of his back causing him to moan in complete pleasure.

"Ohh God Abby…"

She gripped him tightly with her legs as he rocked her back and forth. King's teeth scraped her shoulder, opening the wound there and sucking up her blood. Abby hissed through her teeth at the sensation of pain and pleasure as she drew King deeper and deeper inside of her. Raising his head from her shoulder, King devoured Abigail's lips with his own. She could taste the coppery tang of her own blood on his tongue and it turned her on more than she expected it would.

"Faster King!"

Needless to say, he was happy to oblige to what his partner wanted. He also felt that slow urgency start to build up inside the pit of his stomach. Abby herself, was fighting to hold it together. But that didn't last for long, she screamed as her own orgasm hit and wracked her body. This was closely followed by King and his profanities as he held Abby tightly against his chest.

"Sweet fucking Christ that was great… Let's do that again."

Meanwhile, Abby just lay, exhausted in his arms. King grazed kisses across her collarbone and she chuckled, running her hands through his hair.

"Not so fast Sparky. I think you might break me if we do that too soon."

Truthfully, he was also worn out also. So, instead he settled for cuddling up with her and kissing her till they were both too tired to move and forced by physical exhaustion to go to sleep. King had a feeling though that Abby as already halfway there.

There was the heat again. The flames were licking at her insides wanting so badly to get out. She wanted them out just as much but they had nowhere to go. Again, the darkness was engulfing her. She tried desperately to breath but the heat seemed to be suffocating her. Even when she tried to scream for help, her voice still wouldn't come. Then, as if on time, that voice spoke to her. Still as unrecognizable as the first time and just as haunting, then everything darkened more if that was possible in the blackness she was already in.

"_Close your eyes…"_

Abby bolted up in bed sweating and more confused than she had been before. It was the second time she'd had that dream and she still didn't recognize the voice. Her mind seemed to have distorted it from whoever was speaking. All she knew was that she didn't like the definite tone it held. To double check, she looked to her right to see King groan lightly and turn on his side that was facing her. Surely she couldn't have mistakenly heard him talking in his sleep. He murmured in his dreams from time to time, but not like that. His mutterings were deduced to incoherent, monosyllabic grunts. As Abby looked King over, his eyes opened that soon after squinted with concern and his voice came out with a throaty scratch.

"What's wrong?"

He was one of those people that could always tell when someone was watching him as he slept. Abby just sighed before laying back down and placing a light but lingering kiss on his lips, which was met with an appreciative moan.

"Please get some rest. I expect that there was more coming from that and I want a 'Happy Abby' for breakfast in the morning."

She let out a heavy breath and gave him a gentle smile. He ran his fingers through her silky, soft hair until her eyes were so heavy that she couldn't keep them open anymore. King kissed the top of her head, noting how it was damp with sweat.

"Shhh…"

He did that even though he knew she was already fast asleep. King hoped that whatever nightmare that disturbed her slumber would not come back tonight. He wrapped his arms protectively around her and listened to her deep, even breathing, letting it eventually lull him to sleep.

The sun's unwelcome glare was what woke Abby the next morning. Fortunately, she couldn't remember dreaming for the remainder of the night. She pulled the down quilt over her head and heard someone chuckle faintly in the room. She peeked out of the top to see King standing in the doorway leaning against his crutches..

"Mornin' Sugarpuss."

Abby turned over, buried her head underneath the pillow, and gave him a muffled response.

"Bite me…"

Seconds later she felt King dive onto the bed and bite her exposed shoulder.

"Oww!"

It didn't really hurt but Abby said it anyway. She felt King's beard scratch her shoulder as he kissed it. The scratching continued up into the crook of her neck, causing her to shiver and laugh.

"Tickles?"

King removed the pillow from over her head and started to sniff at her hair, much the same was a dog puts their cold nose in your ear. As much as Abby tried to fight it, she eventually broke down into a fit of giggles. She flipped onto her back and wrapped her legs tightly around his body. This made King stop instantly. Abby leaned up, capturing his mouth with hers in a sudden kiss. She felt parts of him stiffen with the contact and reveled in the feeling as he molded to her body. They broke apart and King observed her with concern evident in his eyes. Some wounded areas on her had grown darker with bruises during the night. As if to know his unasked question Abby stretched and nodded.

"I'm alright."

He placed a soft, sensuous kiss on her mouth and ran his large hands down the length of her body before dragging himself off the bed with a groan. Abby closed her eyes for a brief moment until she heard the clink of metal.

"God these things are killing my pits!"

She opened one eye and smirked at him.

"You sure do know how to kill the mood, don't you baby?"

Abby rolled off the bed and King hobbled up to her and began sucking on the side of her neck, whispering against her skin.

"More importantly, I know how to bring it back to life."

Although she thoroughly enjoyed the attention, she knew if she let him continue, then she wouldn't be leaving the bedroom at all today. So, reluctantly she pulled away.

"Come on Playboy, I don't know about you, but I have to replenish my strength."

She saw the cocky grim forming before he even replied.

"Wore you out didn't I?"

Abby laughed lightly and just nodded.

"…Yeah, you did."

The morning passed relatively normal despite the tension still being held by Caulder and King. At one point Abby thought that King was going to stab Caulder with the butter knife he was using to put jelly on his toast, but thankfully everyone made it through the morning relatively unscathed. Abby learned that Dash had taken Zoë to a secure and trusted friend earlier that morning so that the Nightstalkers could work diligently on the case of Sander and Dalton. This time, King made sure that he got his two cents in when they discussed any kind of maneuver or strategy since he wasn't there the last time and he was convinced that was why Abby sustained those extensive injuries. Caulder would just sit there quietly whenever King spoke. Abby knew that he had also beaten up on himself after her and King retired for the night and she felt sorry for him. Once Dash had returned in the evening however, he brought with him some news that King didn't want to hear.

"I took a little detour this morning to the old dilapidated building on 45th and Congress. It seems as though our friends are strategizing during the day. They've blacked out all of the windows but I could still see shadows moving across them. Seems like they may have some familiars working for them now, so whatever happens, it needs to happen soon. We have to move again, tonight. Abby, how's your status?"

"I'm fine…"

But, she was cut off in midair. At once, as expected, King lashed out at no one in particular.

"No! No, no, no…If you think that I'm letting this one out of my sight again, you are sorely mistaken my friend. Abby is not going anywhere without me tonight, especially not now since I know why those two fucks want her so badly."

It was times like these that Caulder and Dash looked at Abby and relied on her ability to rationalize with her partner. Although now, it may be a little harder than it used to be. He looked as if he dared her to say anything to him to the contrary. He was going to stand firm on this and she knew it. Somehow she would just have to try another angle, but later, when they could be alone. Caulder and Dash seemed to sense this and let the situation go for now. King brooded out of the kitchen and Abby sighed looking up at the two remaining Nightstalkers.

"Don't worry, let me handle him. Just go ahead with the plans for tonight and I'll get sorted out later."

With that she left the kitchen and headed upstairs into King's room where she knew she would find him sulking. True to her intuitions, there he was standing by his window and gazing out of it. He didn't acknowledge her, but she knew that he was responsive of her standing there by the way he closed his eyes and kept them shut for a moment. Abby walked up behind him and rubbed her hands up the span of his back, resting her chin on his shoulder and speaking quietly.

"King, I'm fully capable of…"

King stiffened up for a second and turned around to face her. Here he goes again. She could tell before she opened her mouth that he was going to cut her off. He was too smart and she knew it.

"Abby, you're doing it again. I don't care how much you try to persuade me, I'm not letting you go out there unless I can be there with you. I have too much at risk with you going out there alone; or worse, with some Goddamned Norwegian. Don't you understand that? I have too much to lose with you on the line out there."

Abby took a deep breath and replied in a tired but serious tone.

"King, please don't patronize me."

King's looks softened as he came up to her, cupping her face in the palms of his hands.

"Sweetheart, I'm not trying to undercut you or belittle the situation. I know how strong you are Abby. But, you've got to realize how strong my feelings are for you. I just know that if I were out there with you, you would be in less danger than you are right now standing right in front of me."

Abby's lips formed into a half smile as she gave him an inquisitive look.

"Are you meaning to tell me that I'm in greater danger standing right here than out there with you?"

His answer was quick and simple, offering no explanation at all.

"Yes."

She looked up and down at her surroundings then at her feet.

"Right here?"

King nodded his head surreptitiously.

"Yep."

Abby straightened her back and put her hands on her hips, looking King right in the eye while trying to keep her poker face. King's face however was beginning to show the slightest hint of a grin, but Abby continued.

"This spot…"

King began to rock back and forth on his heels moving face closer and closer to hers with each forward and backward motion till he began to place a light and audible kiss on her lips whenever he got close enough and then pulled away, replying.

"Mmhmm…"

Abby folded her arms.

"I see…"

She tapped her lips lightly feigning deep thought.

"Oh well, guess I'll have to move then."

This caught King off guard and he stumbled forward when her lips weren't there to meet his. He glowered indignantly.

"Hey…you cheated."

She stuck out her bottom lip, and then bit it as her lips curled up in the corners.

"…and you're handicapped."

King's jaw went slack as she broke out into a full, devious smile and then tried to run for it. She made it halfway down the hall before he caught her around the waist and hauled her up against the adjacent wall, kissing her mouth firmly.

"That'll teach you to run from me."

He let her go and she just leaned up on the wall for support. When King kisses you, he _really_ kisses you.

"I think I'm going to go iced down my ankle as well as other parts of my anatomy if you don't mind, I'm getting sore."

She nodded and ruffled his hair for good measure.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything, just scream."

"Like this?"

He then proceeded to pant and moan.

"Abby! Oh God Abby! I need you!"

King watched as Abby's cheeks turned a little pink so he stopped and gave her an endearing smile. She ran a hand through her hair in a flustered motion and nodded.

"Yeah, something like that…"

He smiled and winked at her.

"Sure thing Whistler."

After being thoroughly embarrassed, Abby met up with Caulder and Dash in the computer room. They both looked at her eagerly when she walked up and she waved her hand.

"No go."

Caulder looked at Abby, confused and replied in his thick accent while Dash just waited in silence.

"But why?

She looked conflicted for a moment and then just shrugged pathetically.

"You guys know that he won't let me go anywhere."

Dash sighed a little more ominously than the situation called for and stood up from his seat in the computer chair.

"Well then, we'll just have to go to Plan B. You'll have to sneak out of the Hideout."

Abigail looked really hesitant about that option although she knew that it was going to be discussed. She wouldn't feel right sneaking away from her own well intentioned, not to mention loyal, partner.

"I don't feel so good about that."

Dash and Caulder looked as if they had been ready and waiting for her to say that.

"Abby, it's the only chance we've got at getting these bastards and tonight's the best night to do it. I'm sorry King busted up his foot but you know he'd be doing the same thing."

She nodded. She had already mentioned that to King, but still that didn't make it any easier. Abby would just have to trust them on this one, and hope that King wouldn't be too mad at her when he found out the next morning. With that, she reluctantly agreed.

"Do not breathe a word of this to King alright. If he gets suspicious, I'll just have more on my hands to deal with."

They all silently agreed and went about their normal activities only exchanging meaningful glances every now and again whenever King wasn't around. Abby decided to spend the rest of the day trying to butter King up to the idea of letting her go, but he stood his ground, so she just surrendered knowing that in a few hours time she would have to somehow, covertly leave him while he slept.

Abby picked up her tactical bag and her bow from their hiding place behind the dresser. As she was about to slip out of the room, she heard a voice from the corner of the room, it was stern yet pleading at the same time.

"Abby don't do it…"

She sighed resolutely and put her pack down.

"I should've known better than to think I could pull this over on you."

King limped into the little bit of moonlight that flowed into the room. The shadows made him look so dark and powerful as he moved away from the pitch black corner. He walked up to her and gently took the bow out of her hands, setting it on the floor beside them. Again, he spoke.

"Don't do this to me Abby."

Abby shoulders went limp and she tried to reason with him.

"King, what would you do in my situation? You and I both know that you'd be out there regardless of the danger and regardless of what anyone else told you…including me. The only reason you aren't out there now is because you wouldn't make it halfway down the driveway before collapsing."

He couldn't fight her on that. But then Abby realized something.

"King, your crutches…"

He limped harshly over the bedroom door blocking the only exit Abby had besides the third story window. As he was leaning up against the frame, she could tell that he was in excruciating pain although given the circumstances he was hiding it quite well.

"I don't need them for short distances."

"Like hell you don't! Jesus….King…"

She walked over to him and tried to sling his arm over her shoulder but he resisted, his voice firm as ever.

"I'm not moving Abby."

Abby sat don on the edge of her bed and put her head in her hands for a brief second before meeting King's eyes again. She looked at him contemplatively for and moment and then shook her head.

"You're just about as stubborn as I am, you know that!"

He shrugged casually.

"If not more…"

Abby got up from the bed and walked up to him, placing her hands gently on his bare chest.

"Please King. I have to go."

She was now the one pleading with him. He made the mistake of looking into her eyes and he was completely undone. Inside their hazel depths was the same fire and determination he saw when she fought, when she made love, and when she rescued him. Somewhere he knew that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep Abby in a cage. She would always find a way to get out. He picked up her pack and her bow, handed them to her, and moved out of the doorway with a terrible sense of regret in the pit of his stomach, but it was true, he had to let her go. Abby looked at him surprised at what his actions meant. She dropped her gear and went straight into his arm, holding tight and kissing him like her life depended on it. Between each meaningful kiss, she whispered against his lips.

"I'll be careful. And I'll come back to you…I promise."

She kissed him one final time as he clung to her in that moment, and then she was gone.


	9. Sealed With a Kiss

Author's Note

New update, and so much sooner than I anticipated. Only one more chapter to go after this! Y'all are so fucking awesome! The reviews were my motivation to get this chapter written and posted. This story has been so good to me as far as writing is concerned and I'm glad to see that it was so well received by Blade: Trinity fans. Depending on the fast response to this chapter will determine how soon the final one gets posted. I'm itching to hear your opinions! Be safe and play nice with each other.

xoxo-

McFadden-

Chapter 9: Sealed With a Kiss

Looking at King from an outside view, no one in their right mind would've guessed that he was a compulsive cleaner. Now however, He was currently bent over his electronic guns, fiercely scrubbing away the grime from the chambers. All the while, setting down various pieces a little louder than necessary and grumbling to himself. This is what King did when he was inconsolably angry. He slammed down a casing and muttered.

"Unbelievable…"

He laughed contemptuously and clicked the magazine back in.

"Un-fuckin-believable!"

His body was getting all jittery so he got up to do something more productive. Whistler and Caulder had been gone for a good hour and a half and King was going stir crazy. Entering the kitchen he started to organize things. Within 15 minutes, the entire pantry was in order…_alphabetical order._ He began pacing through the hallways hopping every step or two so his weight wouldn't be put on his ankle. As he as doing this, King began to berate himself out loud.

"You are one stupid fucking idiot! Do you know that? You just had to let her walk out that door. You know, you could've tripped her…Then the two of you could be hobbling around here together. Or better yet, you could be nursing her wounds as she took care of yours…in bed."

King stopped wearing a track into the linoleum floor and groaned in frustration. He grabbed his hair and pulled at the tips_. That's what he should have done. Tied her down to the bed and made sure that she would never want to leave it again._ But no, here he was, alone in the hideout, with nothing more left to do but worry. Even he was starting to get on his own nerves.

Meanwhile on the other side of town, Caulder and Abby were about knee-deep in a tankard that was full of coppery, thick liquid. The stench was almost unbearable to Caulder. He began to gag on the fumes. Abby on the other hand, didn't seem to be disturbed by this one bit. They were strategizing on how to coax the brothers to come outside. The two of them were situation on the top of the roof Dash had staked out earlier, listening to the wire bugs that hand just finished implanting into the venting system. Abby had gathered that both Sander and Dalton were basically sitting ducks in the floor below them. Now, all she wanted to do was lure them up to the top, thus resulting to their current state. She and Caulder were standing in a vat of blood.

"If we have any chance of them coming out Caulder, you are just going to have to live with this as long as you possibly can."

She paused for a long moment. Caulder's mood wasn't affected and simply glowered at her. Abby watched him and her thought flashed to King before continuing their conversation in more of a passive voice.

"I hope you aren't too fond of the clothes you're wearing. The smell never comes off…we usually end up having to burn them."

Caulder's eyes flew to hers in dismay as he unconsciously began to stroke his black leather jacket. Abby caught this and rolled her eyes and replied in a sharp tone.

"You'll get over it."

They stopped in the dead silence when they heard the latch of the trap door fly up and the sound of two cajoling vampire wafted up with it, followed by the boys themselves. Immediately, Abby crouched down deeper in her hiding place, securing her bow and steadying out the shot. She had expected a whole hell of a lot more vampires to protect their leaders but she wasn't going to complain if all she had to do was take out two suckheads to get to what she really wanted. They would take out the two useless punks later and save the brothers for last. A whizzing sound was the only thing to be heard before the first punk vampire burst into flames. His cohort looked around, scared shitless as Dalton and Sander leapt behind two steel drums of more blood. Dash informed them that the blood was pumped through the buildings piping system for the brothers little fetish parties. Abby could've readily imagined a swimming pool filled to the brim with blood and bathing vampires, but that was not something she wanted to see with her own eyes. As the second punk vampire scurried for a place to hide, Caulder fired two garlic infused capsules right in the stomach. Instantly the vampire started to singe and his skin began to flake off ash by ash. Now all Abby had to worry about was attacking their main attraction. She heard Sanders silky smooth voice that sounded like he was right in her ear even though she could see his silhouette from across the roof, coming closer.

"Sander I smell something nice and sexy, and absolutely drenched in blood. Could that be our former Archangel of Death, Ms. Whistler? Isn't that what her pathetic pet calls her? Whistler…"

She heard Sander laugh even though he still remained in the shadows, a step behind Dalton. Abby attention turned back to Dalton, she just shook with disgust at the way he had said her name. It caressed her earlobe in such a spiteful and unsettling way. She knew that Dalton had always been jealous of King, even though both Sander and Dalton had been converted to vampirism before Abby got King out of it. At one point when they were still in the Nightstalkers, Dalton was Abby's first partner, but he secretly lusted after Abby and became envious after her discovery of King and her growing obsession with trying to get him released two years before she was able to actually rescue him. This is what ultimately led to Dalton's fall with the vampires and into Danica's coven. Soon after, he returned and Sander went willingly with him. Dalton wanted to help ensure himself that Abby would never get close to her little fixation that was King. And now, years later, it was highly evident that Dalton never got over the fact that he had been outsmarted by her and that King was now her partner. Abby heard his voice hissed like a snake when Caulder came into view.

"What's this Abigail…that's twice the foreigner's been with you. Is he a new partner? Really now, are we all so replaceable?"

With contempt in her own voice Abby responded seething.

"No Dalton, it was just you."

She knew that was a cold hard slap across his face from the hatred that settled into his eyes. Yet his reply was smooth but forced.

"Ah…I see. So, where is the strappingly young and brawny brute? I hope he hasn't fallen under an injury that is keeping me from the pleasure of his company."

His sarcasm got under her skin. She knew that he was aware that King was hurt and she bit back vehemently.

"Fuck you."

He snickered at her lowly as he approached her, clucking his tongue.

"Such language, my pretty darling...but that can be arranged."

Abby smiled with revulsion and tapped the arrow she held lightly on the ground.

"Still sore at the fact that you were never able to have me Dalton, or is it that you can sense that King has already had me?"

Dalton's face turned to stone, Sander winced sharply, and even Caulder seemed a little stunned by this news. Abby's smile turned victorious. She inched a little closer to Dalton and whispered.

"And guess what? He fucked me good too…"

That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Dalton charged at Abby as she quickly ducked and threw him over her back. Sander had taken off and Caulder was chasing after him. Suddenly Dalton jumped up from the floor, grabbing Abby tightly around her neck. She choked and coughed, kicking and scratching anywhere she could. Caulder was no longer in sight.

"You better be careful Whistler, all I have to do is squeeze and it's all over."

Dalton growled like a tiger would have as he leaned over Abigail, bracing her back against the last guard rail of the rooftop. The busy city streets were bustling with their nightlife, cars in transit, all speeding past them from far down below. Dalton had his thin skeletal-like fingers around Abby's throat edging her closer and bending over the side of the building. Things were looking dismal at that moment. He basically had her life in his mercy. She tried to make a scream for Caulder, but Dalton was holding on so tight that it depleted whatever sound she would've made. From what she could hear in the distance, Caulder was putting up a good fight with Sander. Her attention was brought back to the sniping form before her. Dalton suddenly leaned down and whispered in Abby's ear.

"No…I don't think I'll kill you tonight. I think it's time that the Nightstalkers lost another one of their precious rogue warriors to the dark side."

Without any premise of a warning or any view of the horrified and angered looked in Abigail's eyes, the vampire pitched forward and pierced his fangs within the delicate flesh of Abby's jugular. The scream itself was deafening. It was enough to stop even Sander in his tracks. Just long enough for one explosive round of a UV bullet right to the chest. Caulder stepped back as the body before him ashed away while the level of his gun still smoked. _One down._

Dalton, who was too caught up in the glory of what he'd done, sneered at Abby as she laid there on the ground where he had tossed her, bleeding profusely. He didn't even realize that his own brother was already mere embers smoldering on the ground. Within seconds of the attack, Abby had grown terribly weak. All she could manage was a vengeful glare.

"Maybe now you'll know not to fuck with me Abigail…not right now at least. Too bad your precious King wasn't here to save his Queen."

He laughed, licking his lips salaciously, and spat her own blood back into her face. At which point, a tall, broad shouldered vampire appear through the escaped hatch on the roof to see what all the commotion was about. Signaling to him, Dalton pointed to Abby while he wiped his mouth and gave his order.

"Get her out of my si…"

But Dalton would never finish that sentence. Before Abby could comprehend what was happening, she saw both of them shoot up into flames like a bonfire before the light engulfed her vision and everything went black. Caulder had obliterated the two of them with a cap of sundogs right in the back. He ran through the ashes towards Abby and cursed out loud in his native tongue. She was out cold and she had been bitten by Dalton. He wasn't sure how much blood was transfused but he could tell that it was enough to require an EDTA treatment. He also didn't know how long it would take for her to wake up. But for one thing he was certain; King was going to kill him.

Caulder couldn't get Abigail home fast enough. She hadn't moved at all when Dash came with the car. Even he didn't ask questions. Abby was still alive, but in grave danger. The main priority was getting her home to discern the best way to help her. As Dash pulled up the drive, Caulder began to literally shake. He wasn't a man that easily feared anything, but at the prospect of meeting King behind that door with a damaged Abby, scared the Hell out of him. Dash entered the Honeycomb with a flourish that made King jump unexpectedly.

"Hey…"

King halted. The look on Dash's face was frightened. He didn't even get the chance to ask what was wrong. Caulder walked through the door carrying a limp Abby in arms. King flew out of his chair, running up to them.

"Abby...Abby can you hear me!"

He took her from Caulder, completely ignoring him in the process. Caulder's anguish was evident in his features and he spoke in a nervous tone.

"She's out cold."

King was too overcome with anger and concern as he placed Abby on the medical bed. It was only then that he noticed the harsh, jagged puncture wound on her neck and whirled around to an apprehensive Dash and a devastated Caulder. His eyes were enraged and his demeanor changed to a crazed man in the split of a second. But his voice was perhaps the most disturbing thing of all. It was nothing but a deadly whisper

"She got bit…"

He ran straight at Caulder and screamed.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Dash instantaneously grabbed King and held him back as best he could all the while talking reason to him.

"It's not worth it King! Let's worry about getting Abby better right now.

This seemed to break King from his rage and he went back to Abby's bedside straight away, staring at her, his countenance completely destroyed. Dash mainly worked around King for the next hour trying everything they both could to wake Abby up. When she didn't respond to all of their attempts, Dash resulted in just giving her a blood transfusion while Caulder timidly administered the EDTA into her system while under the watchful and cold eyes of King. He spoke quietly, not meeting King's eyes.

"It'll be a half hour before the transfusions are complete, I'll be back then to check up on her."

Not a word was said in reply. Both Dash and Caulder knew without asking that King was going to stick by his partner's side. Dash knew when to leave well enough alone and he also had another thing to tend to given the state of Abby's condition. He had to make a phone call. Caulder spent most of the time doing nothing but beating himself over the fact that he hadn't come to Abby's rescue soon enough. King was right; he would never be able to protect Abby like King could. She just had a silent understanding and both had sixth sense knowledge of each other's movements. Not to mention, if what Abby said earlier in the night really happened, then she and King had much more than a common bond. Caulder wouldn't know what to do if he's unintentionally severed that tie between them. The half hour passed completely unregistered to King as he continuously stared at Abby. He pulled the soft blue blanket around her, touched the part of undamaged skin as softly as he could. His voice was hoarse when he first spoke to her filled with regret and sadness.

"I told you not to go…"

He could hear Caulder's rough breathing even before he entered the room. He would put money on the chance that at one point during the night Caulder had sustained a broken rib. As he checked Abby's vitals, he shook his head grimly as King watched his every move like a hawk. Caulder noticed that the antivirus strand had not yet begun to work on her system. He knew that Abby would have to be fully alert for him to make sure that the EDTA was working. Until then, they would be forced to wait. Caulder felt King's eyes bore into him as he finished hooking up the IV to his partner's motionless wrist. Wheezing, Caulder slumped slightly to his left side, looking slightly worse for the ware as he tried to speak. He was the last person King wanted to speak to about Abby's condition, but he knew that Caulder had studied the EDTA cure up and down and that he knew what he was talking about. So, he listened despite his wanting to rip the Norwegian's beating heart out of his chest.

"If she doesn't wake soon King…there is a chance that her immune system may not take it and she'll reject it."

After hearing this, however, King lost the ability to remain so tightlipped. Caulder could see his muscles tighten and the anger flare up in he eyes and thought that any second King would fly up from his chair and grab him by the throat. Instead, he shouted.

"You don't know how strong Abby is! She'll be fine! Just fine…"

The last part sounded more like King was trying to convince himself than Caulder that Abby would be okay. Taking his cue, Caulder decided that hit would be best if he just left King to be alone with her, so he left the room. King looked down at Abby's seemingly lifeless form and ran a comforting hand across her cheek.

"Don't listen to him…I told you he was nuts. You're going to be fine. I'll be here when you wake up the EDTA treatment and you'll be good as new. Don't worry, it worked for me and it's going to work for you."

The determination he held in his voice was so strong that if anyone heard him, they would've believed him.


	10. So Long and Goodnight

Author's Note

Sorry if I left you salivating for this final chapter but truth be told, it was written out even before I started the ninth one. Before reading the final installment, please know that I do intend to write plenty more Blade: Trinity stories as long as the ideas keep coming to me. As another note…If it is at all possible, please listen to the lovely song "Run" by Snow Patrol while reading this chapter...It'll add greatly to it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to every reader, review, and fan. Y'all mean so much to me. Till next time…

xoxo-

McFadden-

P.S. My email box is ready and waiting.

Chapter 10: So Long and Goodnight

It had been a little over 12 hours since she arrived and still no signs of Abby coming about. Both Dash and Caulder had left King to keep vigil over Abby until the EDTA took. Dash had taken the liberty to tell Zoë that she couldn't come back as soon as they had planned. All that Zoë knew was that Abby was sick and that she had to stay put until Abby got better. However, if anyone took one look at her, they would know that being sick wasn't the only thing that was wrong. The drone of machines humming around him wasn't enough to disturb King from his concentration. He hovered close to Abby's bedside to speak to her even while she was unconscious. He thought that maybe if he kept talking, she might hear him. His poor coffee colored eyes were bloodshot from their lack of sleep. But, while watching his partner's limp body rest like the dead, suddenly he wasn't too jealous of her cataleptic state. The tips of his fingers traced around the red wound on her neck that started all the Hell he was going through. He knew that even though Abby was comatose, her senses had to be going into overdrive. With his hand, he smoothed the hair from her forehead and kissed her there gently. His eyes began to well up with tears, with hope that somewhere in there; she could hear what he was saying.

"I know its hard Abigail, but you have to come back to me. You made me a promise damnit and even though you're here, you haven't fulfilled it. I know you're strong. You're just going to have to meet me halfway Sweetheart and open your eyes. I won't rest until I see those beautiful hazel eyes baby…"

He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear about how she got like this. He wasn't really sure he could take it if he found out. The thought of Abby in at the clemency of a vampire's wishes was too much to comprehend. Especially one that he knew she once fought alongside of.

"Abby, you don't have to tell me what happened tonight. I'm sure I can always beat it out of Caulder later."

He tried to laugh and lighten the mood for her benefit, but still nothing happened. There was no choice other than to just sit there and wait. Given the state of event in King's life, he didn't pray often. But if it was for Abby's sake, he would kneel down and pray all night if he had to.

Another two hours had passed and King was getting desperate to the point of panicking. His voice shook and he body quivered with unshed tears. Abby's condition had remained the same.

"I forgive you…"

His hands clenched in his hair as he tried to will her to wake up. The tears rolled down her cheeks and onto Abby's hand that he was tightly holding in his. His distraught emotion was causing him to speak in fragments

"I forgive you for everything…even the things I don't know; for going out tonight, for the secret that you kept. I realize that you had your reasons. I'm sorry for everything I've done to make you mad in the past or even in the future. I know I say a lot of idiotic stuff, but that's just me, and you know that. I'm sorry for everything I haven't done that you may have wanted or have been waiting for me to do. I so sorry for the things I didn't do sooner. I so sorry we fought. Just know that I could never really be angry with you and remember I forgive you for everything! I'm not mad at you, either I promise. See…I made you a promise. Now you _have_ to wake up so I can keep it. I just want you back so badly…"

King watched her silently as the minutes passed; One minute passing into another, into ten, into another thirty. His chin rested on his arms as he looked at her intently. Then he blurted out softly.

"I could marry you, you know that…"

He moved strands of her hair through his fingers. He stared at her, unable to look away.

"I mean, just think about it Abby. You're the only woman that I can fight with and probably get my ass kicked and enjoy it at the same time. You the only one I can argue with and get verbally assaulted just as bad. You and I are supposed to grow old and cripple-ly together so that every morning we can sit out on our porch in rocking chairs and reminisce over old scars and how we got them. And you can smack me with your cane when my memory goes bad and I start to embellish the stories for our grandkids."

He took her hand in his, examining it closely. His finger ran down the length of one of her long, graceful fingers.

"How about a beautiful diamond right here…"

He traced the center of her ring finger and then pressed his lips to it. His movements were so tender and gentle, like he was handling a fragile feather. Staring up at her closed eyes from his spot near her hand, he spoke again softly.

"You're the only one I know that can turn my insides to jello with just one look. I've met my match with you Whistler. What do you say?"

His ears were met with nothing but silence, and then it came.

"Yes…"

It was faint, but he heard it, causing him to look at her in disbelief. Her eyes fluttered open and King was met with those eyes he waited so long to see again. He smiled so bright at her that it caused her to smile back briefly despite her pain. His expression was so hopeful in that moment. He leaned in close to her and asked again because he wanted to make sure he heard her right.

"Yeah?"

She nodded and he beamed once more with that bright toothy grin of his. It was replaced by a look that King always gave her only now, she realized what it was. It was love. Bending down, he kissed her with all the emotions he felt and wanted her to feel instead of the pain stirring inside her. When they separated he looked at her with tears slipping from his eyes and he placed his index finger on her nose.

"I'm gonna hold you to that. You do know that's legally binding right? Once you agree you can never change your mind."

She continued to smile weakly because of her condition, and King saw the tear forming on her eyelashes. If she'd been better, he swore she would've laughed at him but she just assured him in a throaty voice.

"I won't… but just in case, let's make this deal in Heaven too, where all we have is time."

King looked at her puzzled and saddened. That was an odd request. He thought the infection must be getting worse for her to start talking crazy like that. His reply was soft but firm.

"Don't do that…don't talk like that Abigail."

For a moment Abby looked frightened and pleaded with him. Little did King know about the clarity that she as experiencing right then. She needed to hear him.

"Please just promise, King."

He sighed and stroked her cheek with his hand, seeing the haziness in her eyes.

"I'm not sure I can do that Kitten."

Perplexity was written all over her face when she heard his words. She wet her dry and cracked lips with her tongue and tasted the small amount of blood that came from them. Abby couldn't escape the scent of blood. Her voice broke under the seriousness of her question.

"Why not?"

King thought on it sincerely. Given his lifestyle both past and present, he doubted that the redemption he sought while killing vampires would be enough to pay the debt that he built up from his life before Abby came. As far as he was concerned, his soul was damned for all infinity. His voice as soft with reason but tinged with guilt and shame.

"Because, I don't think that's where I'm headed. But, I can promise you this… I'll love you no matter where I go."

He wasn't about to let those reservations prevent him from the life he strove for while he as still here to live it and that was obviously good enough for Abigail because she smiled knowingly at him. He placed another soft kiss on her lips and reveled in the moment. That moment however, wasn't long lasting. Abby's happy face turned into a painful grimace as she lurched to her side. King frantically tried to comfort her as much as he could but to no avail. She began thrashing around in what resembled slow motion. Her fists clenched, pulled, and unclenched the blankets. Her toes unconsciously pointed and flexed and then lay still till the whole thing started over again. King didn't know what he should do. He was scared.

"I'm burning up! I'm burning up King, make it stop."

She twisted in the sheets as he felt her forehead that was now covered with sweat. She moaned in pain and King drew in a tight breath. Her skin was ice cold…

It was happening…

No amount of warning or signs could've prepared him for this. King was whispering to himself even before Abby got the chance to say anything. He knew what was coming.

"God no…not her."

He would've spent an eternity with those sadistic bloodsucking bastards if that meant saving Abby from the same fate. Mental flashbacks of the pain he endured when Danica turned him started to play in his mind. The EDTA had failed to take. He was angry for reasons he couldn't explain, but not with her. He snapped out of his own anger when he heard her moan painfully.

"It hurts…King, it hurts so much!"

He looked at her helplessly as the veins in her neck throbbed in agony. Her skin flushed red as she arched her back and screamed. King's voice was a shaky whisper as he watched her.

"I know it does baby…"

His fingers skated across her skin lightly in soothing patterns, hoping to calm her. With each pass of his touch on her skin, Abby's breath would hitch. The tears mixed with sweat as she stared at him with delirious eyes.

"I don't want to be like one of them…"

Abby grabbed King by his shoulders and he looked completely torn. He knew Abby wouldn't want the life he used to live. What was more crushing to him though was the fact that he had to acknowledge that Abby knew what was happening to her as well.

"Please don't let me become one of them!"

King tried to reassure her as best he could but his heart was slowly breaking. He miraculously kept his voice firm and unwavering.

"You won't Abby, I won't let you."

This seemed to ease the anxiety that was evident all over her face and King watched her as she appeared to have come to some sort of a conclusion. Abby slowly reached out to his hip, grasping his electronic gun in her hand. King had completely forgotten about putting it in the waistband of his jeans after he cleaned it. She looked up at him pleadingly and placed the gun in his hand. King felt his heartbeat accelerate and the panic rise up in his throat as she pressed his fingers around the handle. Subconsciously he knew what she was going to say and all he could do was stare in disbelief.

"Kill me…"

That alone could've ended him. She said this and it sounded as though the life was already being drained from her. The stunned silence coming from King filled the room. He couldn't believe his beautiful Abby was begging him to take her life. He saw fear flicker through her eyes and in an instant, it was gone. King's hands shook as he hesitated, his eyes not meeting hers again for a fleeting moment. Conviction blazed in her looks again. Mustering up all the strength and will she had left in her, she screamed.

"DO IT!"

Every muscle in her gave out after that. She closed her eyes tiredly and defeated, sighing with sadness as the tears flowed down her cheek. It was the only thing she was capable of doing now. When she reopened them, Abby looked at King with a sad yet soft expression. He couldn't fathom what scared him more; when she was screaming or the fact that she had gone completely calm. Her voice came out composed and she sounded tranquil.

"King, I love you. Do this for me."

His heart sank even further as a shiver coursed through him, running his blood cold in the process. Not hours before, his pleading voice had asked her not to go out on the mission. And now she asked him something that almost mirrored what he had asked of her. This time, he was standing in his own way. She took his hand that held the gun and aimed the barrel over her own heart. With that she looked at him again and gave him a sad smile. Now it was up to him to pull the trigger. Time hung in the balance in what seemed to be forever until King's voice came in no more than a hoarse, heartbreaking, and final whisper.

"Close your eyes…"

There it was…Abby recognized that voice now. The voice belonged to him. With a peaceful look, Abby did as he said. He placed a trembling hand over them and with that, closed his own eyes, and pulled the trigger.

His ears didn't even register the slight pop that followed. All that filled the room was the continuous monotone sound of Abby's heart monitor as the pulsing green line slowed and went flat. King was huddled over her body, covering it with his own as he held her tight. His heart may as well have stopped along with it. He cried until he didn't have anymore tears left in him. The only thing that he had that was worth living for was dead now. As he leaned up, his hand was still covering her eyes. Underneath his palm, King knew that her hazel eyes with their dark lashes would remain closed. He was never going to see her hazel eyes again.

THE END


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